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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29479719">The Knight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychoRadiance/pseuds/PsychoRadiance'>PsychoRadiance</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dan - Fandom, Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Royalty, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:40:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>22,766</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29479719</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychoRadiance/pseuds/PsychoRadiance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prince Daniel of Arabella: second heir to the royal throne, son of King Marcus and Queen Pippin, and a massive pain in the ass. Prince Daniel's father is seeking a private protection unit for his son, but The Prince seems slightly unwilling to comply to this arrangement.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chris Kendall/PJ Liguori, Dan Howell &amp; Phil Lester, Dan Howell/Phil Lester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Phil made his way down through the large archway of one of the many corridors he wasn’t allowed in. Most days he was only permitted to enter a wing or two on the bottom floor of the palace, but today was an exception. He had received a personal demand from The King to present himself at the royal study as soon as he was capable.</p><p>	He was incredibly nervous. A palace guard was only ever invited to a private meeting when he was in a heap of trouble, and even then, it was never with The King. Normally it would be an irksome group scolding to discuss everything they did wrong during drills or their daily shifts. It was always with a military official or another high up in the palace staff. The fact that this was a request from The King himself made his palms sweat.</p><p>	Phil rounded one more turn, nearly tripping over his own polished staff-issued shoes when he arrived at a massive wooden door, two guards posted at either side.</p><p>	“Are you Philip Lester?” The guard at the left asked.</p><p>	Phil nodded and fumbled into his waist pocket to retrieve his ID. The guard studied the card for a moment before looking back to Phil. Seemingly satisfied with the identical images, he nodded curtly to the guard at the right.</p><p>	“King Marcus will see you now.”</p><p>	The two men distanced themselves a few feet from the door, both with a sturdy mental knob in hand, allowing Phil to enter The King’s study. He had only seen pictures from news magazines or short clips from government broadcasts on television, but as he walked into the room, he realized suddenly that those scarcely gave it justice.</p><p>	Every wall was plastered with floor to ceiling bookshelves, probably containing thousands of books that will never be opened, dolefully doomed to a stagnant life on a shelf collecting dust. The space was big enough to fit a house, but only contained a large desk cluttered with documents along with a small table or two containing maps, lamps and the occasional tea cup.</p><p>The King was sat at the center desk, fixated on the loose paper he was holding. The only light transpired by a large window on the far wall, allowing the last remaining moments of daylight in.<br/>
The fading sun haloed The King’s mousy brown curls, illuminating a soft glow around his frame. His face aging was set taught, his mind clearly in the middle of a burdensome thought. Hunched over his work, King Marcus only looked up when he heard Phil’s footsteps. </p><p>	Phil stopped a few feet from the desk and worked his towering form into a stolid bow, wanting to show nothing but respect for His King. The man at the desk chuckled lightly, waving a hand towards the soldier.</p><p>	“Please Philip, that’s not necessary. Take a seat.”</p><p>	Phil did as told and took the chair across from The King, taking a deep breath as he placed himself onto the plush cushioned seat. Although His Majesty seemed troubled, he did not give off any aura of disdain or anger. The pit in Phil’s stomach lessened, but soon deepened when he realized the position he was in. </p><p>Sat face to face with a person so powerful he could get beheaded with a snap of the older man’s fingers. Phil was only ever this close to The King once, when his father was being promoted to the head of the security staff in the castle walls. That was a joyous occasion, one where Philip felt nothing but pride, but today he felt like a child who was getting reprimanded.</p><p>The memory of that event was pleasant. It was a fairly large party, every member of the guard staff was invited. Phil remembers his mother and father giggling like teenagers in love. They were so happy. His father was a good man, who was very dedicated to his work. He passed away a few years back, leaving Phil to take care of his mother at only 14 years of age. </p><p>Phil’s mother never truly recovered from the heartbreak of losing her beloved husband, so much so that when she got a deadly virus last year she didn’t attempt to fight it. It hurt Phil greatly to lose both his mother and father in the span of a few years, but he was sufficient at supporting himself at that point in his life.</p><p>	“I suppose you are wondering why I called you in here.” The King glanced across at Phil, placing knitted fingers under his chin. The idea of Phil “wondering” why he was here was an understatement. He was about to drown from how much sweat he was producing.</p><p>	“Yes sir, I am.” Phil said with as steady of a voice he could muster. </p><p>	He loved his job, and didn’t look forward to losing it. When his father first got a job at the castle, Phil almost immediately got an apprenticeship working in the kitchen. He was so young then that he didn’t do too much besides mixing bread doughs and watching unattended pots, but his family needed the money and he was more than happy to help out.</p><p>	When he turned 16 he applied for the guard staff. He liked the ladies in the kitchen an awful lot, but he really wasn’t the best cook and wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps, hopefully maintaining the integrity of the Lester legacy. He was a lanky kid, so it took a lot of work, but eventually he bulked up thanks to his old friends in the kitchen keeping him full and daily strength training, and now he was one of the most favored members of the guard. His high reputation made him more unsure of what he could have done to disrupt his station enough to get him sent to a private meeting with the ruler of the country.</p><p>	“Firstly, I want to start off by saying that your job isn’t in peril.” The King said with a soft smile, analyzing how Phil’s body immediately relaxed.</p><p>	“As you know, Philip, your father was a very trusted man here. He was the head of my personal security and someone I deem a very dear friend of mine. He did some exceptionally admirable work here. Now, from what I have observed, you seem to be following behind very closely in his footsteps.”</p><p>	Phil smiled humbly at this. He knew he was well liked, but he never knew The King paid any special attention to him. Compared to his father, who was a man of incredible intelligence and valiant strength and bravery, Phil always saw himself as considerably less noteworthy. Sure he had the physical strength to uphold a guard title, but he rarely had to use it. He did like to think that he was beyond proficient in all of his daily tasks, but his duties rarely took him outside of the palace, leaving little room to demonstrate his abilities.</p><p>	“Now Phil, I have a proposition for you.” The King looked at him almost hesitantly. The man adjusted himself in his chair, seemingly unable to get comfortable. His next words came out slowly, almost as if he was trying to will himself into having more faith in what he was saying.</p><p>“Because your family is so trusted, I have a new job I would like to offer you. It’s quite different from the work you are doing now, but it is much more important. I need someone to be my son’s private guard, and you are the only person currently on our staff that I trust to do it.”</p><p>	The King looked at Phil expectantly before changing his gaze to watch his hand drum against the desk with uncertainty. Phil’s eyes widened. Prince Adrian was going to be the king in a few years time and it made sense he would need extra protection, but why Phil? Surely he must have a whole slew of people waiting on him day and night. Phil didn’t want to argue though, The King already seemed uncertain enough and Phil wasn’t about to change his mind, or pass up this opportunity.</p><p>“Of course sir, I’d do anything to protect Prince Adrian from anything that-”</p><p>	“Phil, it’s not Adrian.”</p><p>	Marcus looked up to meet Phil’s gaze, tired brown eyes meeting Phil’s sapphire ones. Phil raised an eyebrow.</p><p>	“It’s my other son; Prince Daniel. He is in need of a guard.”</p><p>	Phil was slightly taken aback by this. Prince Daniel never made public appearances, and from what he’s heard, he hardly ever even leaves his room. Of course he makes the occasional television appearance alongside his parents, but he was never spoken about as much as Prince Adrian. He’s not the future king, so no one worried too much about him.</p><p>	“Of course sir, I would do anything to help your family, but doesn’t he already have the guard staff looking after him?”</p><p>	The King sighed and looked to the floor, momentarily forgetting to uphold the regal composure he always carried.</p><p>	“There was an incident with Daniel recently, one that I will not get into, but he has expressed that he feels unsafe in the castle and I need someone to take care of him when I cannot be there.”</p><p>	The King focused on a spot behind Phil’s shoulder, clearly trying to will away the tears threatening his eyes. Phil’s heart broke for the poor boy. Although Prince Daniel wasn’t super well known among the public, he was held with a very high esteem in the castle.</p><p>	Every handmaid or housekeeper who worked in the prince’s wing spoke greatly of Daniel, and they were often seen leaving his quarters giggling quietly to themselves or walking the halls with a newly found spring in their step.</p><p>Phil had never met him, but he knew a little about him. Prince Daniel was the youngest in the family, only aged at 19. From the portraits he’s seen of the boy he was very handsome in a boyish way, with freckles covering his nose and a mop of curly hair on top of his head. His figure was lanky, which Phil always found odd considering how well fed the royal family must be. He had the same eyes as everyone else did in his family, soft brown with hints of honeyed gold flecks, but Prince Daniel’s always seemed more vibrant from his portraits.</p><p>Despite never meeting the boy, Phil found a huge sense of pride in being offered this position and wasn’t going to give it up.</p><p>“I accept your offer, sir. I’ll keep Prince Daniel safe.”</p><p>***</p><p>	The next day Phil was invited back to King Marcus’ office, but was surprised to see he wasn’t alone. Stood in front of the mahogany desk of The King stood a boy significantly smaller than Phil, but clearly much braver. His hands were placed on the desk with a forceful grip and his full attention was turned to The King. He looked absolutely livid, and even Phil could sense his desperate anger from his distance at the door, backed by his hushed whisper-yelling.</p><p>	“Please, don’t do this, you know how I-”</p><p>	“Son, sit. We have a guest.” The King interrupted the boy’s winded rant, making exhausted eye contact with Phil. The small boy turned sharply to the door, large eyes studying Phil. Almost immediately it registered in Phil’s mind that this was Prince Daniel, the younger of the Howell brothers, second prince to the country of Arabella. Phil instantaneously dropped into a low bow, which was met with a scoff from the boy and the sound of a chair being dragged across the floor.</p><p>	Phil stood up just in time to see King Marcus place a chair next to his own, motioning for The Prince to sit. Daniel gave his father pleading eyes, which was only acknowledged by a firm stare. </p><p>Daniel reluctantly gave up, coming to terms that he was not going to win this. He backed into the chair as far as he could and started to pick at his nails, seemingly wanting to be anywhere but where he currently was. His expression was a mix of anxiety and anger, a small blush accompanying his freckles.</p><p>“Philip, please take a seat.” The King said as he motioned to a chair. Phil did as he was told and took a seat across from the royals.</p><p>“This is my son, Daniel. Clearly he has already made a negative impression on you but I beg you to look past that. He’s quite a stubborn one.” Phil glanced at Dan, whose face was blood red with angry eyes glaring at his father.</p><p>“I wasn’t necessarily expecting your first introduction to go like this, but here we are nonetheless.” The King glanced at Daniel, who seemed to be trying to absorb himself into his chair. With an exasperated sigh he turned back to Phil, running his hands down his tired face.</p><p> “Philip, we are going to have a test trial on this arrangement so we can ensure this is a good fit. Does that sound alright with you?”</p><p>“Of course, sir. I want to make sure both you and Daniel are completely comfortable with this arrangement.” He looked carefully towards Daniel, who was staring at Phil with a calculated gaze. Phil wasn’t so sure why Prince Daniel already seemed to dislike him, but he was determined to get on the young prince’s good side. </p><p>Even though Phil knew little about the prince, he knew that everyone who got the privilege to speak with him seemed to adore him, declaring he was nothing short of angelic. Phil wasn’t so sure why he was the exception to this phenomenon, but he promised himself he would change the young boy’s opinion. The King seemed pleased with Phil’s response and kept explaining his proposal.</p><p>“Tonight we will be having a small gathering of some of the lower nobility in the surrounding countries. It is going to be a wonderful way to expand some of our current trading routes, and it is vital Daniel is watched over tonight. Typically only Adrian would join me, but having the whole family out tends to help paint a more friendly picture for our guests. Both of my sons will be having minimal security this evening so as to not offend any of our company, so Philip, you will be my Daniel’s only line of protection besides the emergency team on standby. If tonight goes well and Daniel reports back to me with a successful exposition, then this arrangement will be solidified.”</p><p>Phil felt nauseous as he fiddled with his hands, the pale color turning more ghost-like with every word exiting The King’s mouth. He was confident in his ability as a soldier, but beyond his basic etiquette and manners training every guard was required to attend, he knew nothing about interacting with nobles.</p><p>	The King seemed to have read Phil’s expression loud and clear. With a small smile he stood up and walked over to Phil, handing him a small card with a number and some neat writing on it.</p><p>	“Before you get yourself worked up, you should know that you are not required to interact with anyone besides Daniel and myself. Nothing else is to be expected beyond my son’s protection. Here is Daniel’s room number as well as the directions to the fitting room. Even if you won’t be associating with nobles it is still important you look the part.”</p><p>	He gave Phil a firm pat on the shoulder before circling his desk back to his chair. Phil toyed with the card in his hand. How could he need directions to get to a place in a singular building? He knew he was only allowed in a few parts of the castle but he didn’t realize it was so big.</p><p>	“Our guests will be arriving at 6 o’clock sharp. Please be ready to escort Daniel down to the dining hall 15 minutes prior to then. Once you’ve arrived, feel free to wait with the other guards until you get further instructions.”</p><p>	And with that, he excused Phil, walking him to the door before quickly ushering himself out after Phil for a moment of secrecy. The King shut the door gently before turning to Phil, eyes wide with circumspection.</p><p>	“Philip, I should warn you about Daniel. This is not a position he wants to be in and I would not put it past him to give you a bit of a hard time. Please, do not let this deter you, he truly is a marvelous boy. Just be kind and he will eventually warm up to you. I promise.”</p><p>	Phil nodded and gave a smile to The King before bowing and heading down the large corridor. Although Phil’s first impression of Prince Daniel wasn’t exactly ideal, Phil was drawn to him. Whether it was just Phil’s protective nature appearing or Daniel’s shy persona, Phil felt immediately inclined to protect this boy, no matter what the cost.</p><p>***<br/>
Phil listened to his shoes echo down the white tiled hallway, rhythmically matching the beat of his heart. He checked that his new silver cufflinks were in order for the 50th time and checked his watch. 5:36. He was early but it never hurt to be punctual. He scanned each pristine door he passed for a room marked 106, Prince Daniel’s private sleeping quarters.</p><p>	The evening came with a much more vigorous momentum than Phil had anticipated. He barely had time to collect his thoughts before he realized he was running behind. After a quick shower and a lot of processing of the events that had occurred just prior, Phil had gone down to the fitting rooms. The seamstresses were very nice, but there was a lot more poking from pins than he would have liked.</p><p>	His stiff new suit made a swishing noise every step he took, which seemed to be louder than a gunshot in the silent hallway. Phil wasn’t sure if he was only hyperfocusing because he was nervous or because he was getting into his “palace guard” headspace. He was hoping it was the latter.</p><p>	After what felt like a marathon worth of walking, Phil finally made it to room 106. The door somehow seemed more intimidating than the dozens of identical ones leading him here. He stood there switching his weight from foot to foot, unsure if he should knock or wait for Prince Daniel to come out, but he didn’t have time to make that decision. The white door swung open, revealing an annoyed looking Prince Daniel.</p><p>	“I was hoping you wouldn’t show up.” The Prince looked Phil up and down, and with that, he slammed the door shut in Phil’s face. Not knowing exactly how to respond, Phil just decided to wait for Prince Daniel to come back out. King Marcus had warned him about his son’s potential temperament, but Phil wasn’t exactly expecting a face full of door.</p><p>	He stood awkwardly outside the door, listening to the cacophony of muffled voices inside. Phil adjusted his dark hair again, wishing he had a better time waster. His nerves were really getting to him, and he found himself longing for the prince to hurry up just so he would have something to focus on.</p><p>	Within a few minutes, Prince Daniel’s door opened again, revealing the young prince in a tailored snow-white suit, followed by a maid, who seemed to be a decent amount of years older than Phil.</p><p>	“Hello, Philip! My name is Johanna, I’m Dan’s personal maid. I’ve heard so many pleasant things about you from King Marcus! Not so much from Dan, but as you can probably tell he’s a bit in opposition to this set up. I for one, think it’s a great idea.”</p><p>	Johanna pulled Phil’s arm from his coat pocket and gave his hand a confident shake. She was nothing like what he would expect Prince Daniel’s personal maid to be. The Prince was such a mystery to the rest of the world that Phil could all but assume his staff would be the same way, but this woman had quite the assertive impression. She was a very tall woman with short curly hair and ebony eyes, her white teeth contrasting her dark skin. Her energy seemed to radiate confidence and friendliness, which Phil could already tell wasn’t Prince Daniel’s strong suit.</p><p>	“It’s nice to meet you as well, Miss Johanna. I look forward to working this evening alongside you.” Phil said politely, his usual deep voice raising an octave, a trait he found himself possessing whenever he got particularly nervous. He glanced over to Daniel, who was fixing his tie on a wall mirror, evidently ignoring his escort.</p><p>Phil wiped his clammy hands on his expensive suit pants, trying to be inconspicuous, and extended his arm politely to Prince Daniel, wanting to follow the appropriate protocol he recalled from his etiquette training. Daniel merely walked past him, stealing one more glimpse at the mirror to adjust a stray curl off of his forehead as he bounded for the hallway.</p><p>	Johanna interlocked arms with Phil without hesitation and began leading him down the hall after the young prince. Her heels marched in tempo with Phil’s polished oxfords, the loud smacking of leather slightly swaddled by the plush carpeting.</p><p>“Don’t you worry too much about him. He’s never liked these social events. Probably all of the teenage angst still building up in him.” Phil smiled at the comment and let out a small chuckle. This seemed to have caught Daniel’s attention, who originally seemed set to ignore both of his chaperones.</p><p>	“Johanna, please! I promise you it’s not teen angst or a social event that’s putting me in a bad mood today.” The young boy glared over his shoulder at Phil, who returned his grimace with a smile.</p><p>	“Don’t worry about me Prince Daniel. I’m here to help you. I’ll keep my distance if that’s what you please.”</p><p>	The Prince’s ears seemed to redden as Phil said this, but the guard didn’t get the chance to see if the blush would spread across the rest of Daniel’s face before he turned away stubbornly.</p><p>	Prince Daniel seemed to quicken his pace, skipping down a large staircase with steps two at a time down to the next floor below. Johanna snickered at the boy’s immaturity before returning to Phil with a story of the last event she attended. Of course being a maid she was only there to stand by in case anyone needed anything, but she fawned over the dessert The King had set aside for them to indulge in after everyone had left. She said it was the best German chocolate cake she had ever had.</p><p>	Phil remembered some of the times King Marcus had done the same for the guard staff. Whenever a senior guard left, The King always made sure his staff had troughs of food for them. Whether they were eating out of sadness or celebration, no one ever left without eating so many sweets it hurt to walk.</p><p>	Arabella knew their king to be affable and fair, but Phil wasn’t so sure if they knew the extent he went to for his staff. He truly was one of the greatest kings this country has ever seen. He was curious how a man so jovial and empathetic towards his people could somehow share the same genes as the lanky boy trying to escape from view.</p><p>	Phil’s height gave him advantage and Johanna and himself quickly caught up with large paces, landing them right near the throne’s second heir.</p><p>	“Your highness, I will willingly give you all of the space you need but please try to remain at least within eyesight.” Phil attempted a half smile at Prince Daniel, which was ignored entirely.</p><p>	Even at their newly quickened pace, Phil had enough time to gawk at the beautifully decorated architecture around him. He had seen the main wing of the palace many times. As it was often the most trafficked area on the palace grounds, there was always a plethora of guards attending to it. Although it was basically the center of the royal home, it held no dominating decor. It was kept very plain, to be easily changed based on season and occasion. Besides that, Phil had only seen the gardens and the staffing quarters, but that didn’t prepare him for the true beauty of the palace.<br/>
Each corridor they turned into was lined with colorful rococo paintings, filled with more detail than the human eye could comprehend. Besides every piece of art was a vase filled with imported flowers, engulfing the air with a pleasant hue of sweetness. Chandeliers hung above them with candles and diamonds reflecting off of each other in a playful manner, illustrating a beautiful dance of light on the ceiling.</p><p>	Phil was absolutely enamoured with the expansive handsomeness of the castle, and wondered if every wing was as lovely as this one.<br/>
He lost his train of thought when the young prince stopped abruptly in front of a large door with two guards at either side.</p><p>	“Your highness, your father and brother have already arrived. We hope you have a wonderful evening.” After a subservient bow from each man, the door opened to reveal a small gathering of people around a large dinner table. The room was large and bright, an abundance of candles lit on every surface, glistening beautifully off the silver dinnerware. Food of every scent and flavor was set out for the guests, almost begging Phil to have a taste.</p><p>	People dressed in jewel toned silk crowded the room, making a muddled rainbow of colors. The King and Prince Adrian were not hard to pick out. King Marcus had on traditional celebratory attire, a rich red suit with accents of gold and silver appliques, while Prince Adrian dressed similarly. He had an opulent shade of green, ornamented in medals of all statures. Daniel’s stark white was sure to stand out against the dimly lit colors the others adorned, but that seemed to fit his personality.</p><p>	Having been too worked up on nerves that day to have eaten, Phil longingly wished he could be seated at the overflowing table of delicacies along with the nobles and royals, but unfortunately for him, he had protocol to follow.</p><p>He allowed Johanna’s arm, which was still linked within his, to drop to her waist before he stepped aside to join a silent group of guards at the rear end of the room. They were to remain in official standby formation until they were given orders, which was a rare case at these lengthy dinners. Across the room Johanna stood patiently with a group of maids, waiting to serve when needed. Phil prepared to be in one place for a while, longingly inhaling the smells of spice and wine being served a mere few feet away.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After their guests had finished their meals, The King excused the chefs from the room and allowed the nobles to freely wander the room to mingle. Every once in a while, Phil would notice him butt into a group of people, clearly with the intent to win them over in hopes of securing a new trade partner. </p>
<p>The guard staff was allowed to socialize among themselves and with the maids. Phil already knew all of the guards. Because of his father’s status and his long term commitment to working at the castle, Phil knew pretty much everyone. It made socializing fun nonetheless; it took the nerves away from making new friends in an already very tense situation.</p>
<p>Phil was about to turn back to one of his fellow guards to tell him an antidote from the day when a mop of curly brown hair caught his eye. Prince Daniel was sitting quietly by the door to the dining hall by himself, allowing his brother and father to do all of the socializing for him.</p>
<p>As Phil was considering whether approaching the prince in an effort to make him feel less awkward would be kind or offensive to the young boy, Prince Daniel stealthily made his way up from his chair and out the door.</p>
<p>Phil blinked, looking around to see if anyone else had noticed the escapee. To his surprise, no one seemed to have paid any attention at all to the juncture. Without any hesitancy in mind, Phil made his way through the slew of men and women and out the door. As soon as he stepped out, the posted guards caught his attention with a small chuckle.</p>
<p>“He went that way.” One of them said with a pointed finger, trying to hide an amused smile.</p>
<p>Phil nodded and ran in the direction he was told. He didn’t have to go far to notice that the doors to the gardens were wide open. Phil felt himself panic. Of course he saw the prince leave on his own accord, but what if something happened between then and now? Why would he be outside in the garden of all places?</p>
<p>Phil hastily made his way out the doors, expecting to find Prince Daniel being hauled over the gate by masked burglars, but instead was met with a much more acceptable sight.<br/>
Sat on the grass in front of a rose bush was the young prince, flipping a page to an old book absentmindedly.</p>
<p>“You know, you really shouldn’t run off like that.” Phil panted, trying to catch his breath. Despite being one of the more athletic palace guards, the fit of panic wore him out more than he expected.</p>
<p>Prince Daniel looked up at him with a face full of displeasure.</p>
<p>“Well perhaps you shouldn’t be running at all. You look like you’re about to pass out.” He seemed inconvenienced by Phil’s mere presence, making no other attempts at conversation. Instead he folded his legs closer to himself and held his book to his nose.</p>
<p>“What are you reading?” Phil found himself curious. He knew the boy would probably shoot down his question, but he was determined to make a good impression whether it was wanted or not.</p>
<p>Daniel closed his eyes with a huff, clearly not wanting to indulge the older man in any type of conversation.</p>
<p>“Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. If I thought you were intelligent enough to know how to read I would give you a synopsis but I don’t think that would be worth my time.”</p>
<p>Phil ignored the insult and continued his small talk.</p>
<p>“Jane Austen, huh? I never would have taken you as the romantic type, your highness. Truthfully, I can’t say i’m the biggest fan. She’s a little too long-winded for me.”</p>
<p>Daniel tried his best to ignore his guard, only sneaking a small peak up at the man when he continued talking.</p>
<p>“You know, I can understand why you don’t like those dinners very much. Everyone there seemed so stuffy. I think some of them need to loosen their corsets a bit. They must be cutting off their ability to have an enticing conversation.”</p>
<p>He noticed a corner of the prince’s mouth rise slightly, only to be lowered when he remembered he was supposed to be shunning. Phil took a chance and sat down on the grass a few feet away from the prince, studying his gaze to gauge his reaction. The boy seemed to shrink back slightly, clearly a little intimidated by Phil’s casualness.</p>
<p>“Can’t you leave me alone for a little while? I promise I don’t need a babysitter.” Daniel muttered, slightly less confident than their previous interaction.</p>
<p>Phil smiled, hoping the warm expression would ease the boy’s tension.</p>
<p>“Unfortunately I’ve been given orders to do exactly the opposite of that. I’m quite literally supposed to be watching you at every minute tonight. That being said, I don’t see why we can’t make an arrangement that you may be more happy with.”</p>
<p>Daniel glanced up at Phil with curiosity, slightly confused at what Phil was plotting. Phil stood up and with long strides walked back to the garden door, now leaving a large amount of distance between himself and the prince.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?” Daniel whisper-shouted, clearly befuddled by what the guard was attempting to pull.</p>
<p>“I’m leaving you alone. While I can’t necessarily stop watching you, at the very least I can give you space. I told you, I want to make sure you’re comfortable in this arrangement. Anything you voice I will try my hardest to make happen. I’ll be right here until you’re ready to come back.”</p>
<p>Phil leaned against the doorframe, studying the boy in the grass. He looked genuinely perplexed. His thumb was grazing his bottom lip, brows furrowed in thought. He glanced up quickly at the guard before returning to his book, allowing some of the tension in his shoulders to relax.</p>
<p>They weren’t there for long, maybe another half hour or so before The Prince stood and made his way over to Phil.</p>
<p>“I think I have to go back now. Father would be furious if I didn’t make a parting round before the nobles left.”</p>
<p>Phil nodded and straightened his suit, making sure his tie didn’t get skewed during their detour. He extended his arm out of sheer politeness, expecting the prince to shrug it off like he had previously, but Phil was surprised when he felt a dainty grip on his bicep.</p>
<p>He looked down to see the prince shyly looking forward, arm wrapped with his, avoiding eye contact.</p>
<p>“Father would be mad if I didn’t follow proper etiquette in front of our guests. Don’t expect this to be a regular occurrence.”</p>
<p>And with that, The Prince set off, attempting to guide Phil towards the hall. Their height differences proved to be a challenge, and reluctantly the boy allowed Phil to guide them the rest of the way.</p>
<p>Although it was a short walk, Phil felt like it was a mile. He could feel Daniel’s fingertips through his suit jacket and he could smell the faint air of vanilla coming off of the other man, making his heart twist. The gravity of Phil’s position was weighing heavily on his shoulders, making his stomach turn in knots.</p>
<p>He had only known The Prince personally for a few hours, and the little he did understand about him was not helping his nerves. While this boy is clearly very strong headed and vibrant, his shyness and demure nature stood out boldly. Phil could understand why someone like him would need a personal protection unit.</p>
<p>However, the responsibility of taking protection over the young man seemed daunting, especially when you add his royal title into the mix, and Phil had to take a deep breath to ground himself before his mind got too out of hand. He had to remind himself that he was confident in his skills, and he knew he was capable of this task, no matter how much pressure it held.</p>
<p>The pair eventually made their way back to the dining hall, passing by the same two guards as they made their way in.</p>
<p>“Already giving him a hard time, your highness? The poor man’s only had this job for a couple hours. We were hoping you might go easy on him.” One of the guards said with a knowing smile.<br/>
Prince Daniel smiled a small grin back.</p>
<p>“It’s my job to keep everyone on their toes around here. Someone has to keep you guys in line.” Daniel chuckled as the guard placed a friendly hand on his shoulder, grabbing the door to allow the pair inside.</p>
<p>Evidently, no one else seemed to notice their absence. And if they did, they certainly didn’t make a big fuss about it. Prince Daniel merely removed his hand from Phil’s arm and went back to his seat, quietly waiting for his father to announce the end of the night.</p>
<p>Phil made his way back to the group of servants, smiling at Johanna when she noticed his presence. He slowly began to relax into a casual conversation, listening to one of the maids rant about her long list of chores for the following day.</p>
<p>Before long, The King declared the party’s end and announced his leave for the night. As he left the room, he looked expectantly to Phil, gesturing towards his son. Phil let out a short breath of realization before he hurried over to Daniel, who still sat boredly on his chair, while offering his arm for the third time that evening.</p>
<p>Daniel took it with the same delicate grip he had taken beforehand, barely grasping the suit fabric. Johanna accompanied Daniel’s other side, who exited after his father, with Prince Adrian and his own guard following close after. As soon as the doors had shut, The King turned to address his sons.</p>
<p>“I believe tonight was a success, but our hopes will be affirmed hopefully within a few days. We seemed to make quite a good impression, so we can assume trade offers will be sent in the mail promptly.” The King stood a bit taller, his already large frame growing in satisfaction.</p>
<p>“Daniel, Adrian, you two did some very excellent work tonight.” Daniel’s grip on Phil’s arm seemed to tighten slightly. When he looked down at the shorter boy, he noticed a slight smile across Daniel’s face, visibly taking pride in his father's compliment.</p>
<p>“I will be heading to my bedchamber now. I hope you enjoyed your night.” The King smiled at Phil, giving him an approving nod. The man sauntered down the hall, his private guards following after.</p>
<p>Phil let out a hushed sigh of relief. The night was over and he achieved his task. Of course there was still the subject of getting Prince Daniel’s approval, but for now, Phil had made King Marcus happy and that was enough for him.</p>
<p>Before Phil had the chance to escort the boy back to his room, Prince Adrian turned to them, a fox-like grin on his tan face.</p>
<p>“Good work out there, kiddo. Everyone at that table loved you. They took your sarcasm as wit. I told you that smart mouth of yours was good for something.” He ruffled Daniel’s hair with a little too much force, causing The Prince to stumble back on the tiled floor slightly before smiling at his older brother.</p>
<p>“I’m glad. Someone out there had to distract them from your stupidity.” Before Prince Adrian had the chance to rebut, Daniel dropped Phil’s arm and set to make way back to his corridor, a disgruntled Johanna and Phil staggering behind him.</p>
<p>Before long, the young prince had reached his room, darting in before saying goodbye to his escorts. Johanna looked at Phil with a sly smile.</p>
<p>“I’m proud of you, you know. Daniel couldn’t shake you off tonight, you must be real committed. He certainly was trying to get rid of you if you couldn’t tell.” She looked to the door, a knowing smile reminiscent of a fond mother painting her face.</p>
<p>“I hope he didn’t trouble you too much. I think he seemed to like you.” </p>
<p>Phil looked at his shoes, absentmindedly switching his weight between his feet.</p>
<p>“I don’t know about that, but he certainly made an impression on me. Whether he chooses to go with me or someone else for his security, I just want him to be safe. He seems like a really good kid.”</p>
<p>Johanna’s smile she gave Phil could have melted the rest of the arctic. She placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed some reassurance into him.</p>
<p>“Have a good night’s sleep, Phil. You deserve it after the long day you’ve had.” Johanna opened The Prince’s door and made her way inside. Phil let out his first genuine relaxed breath since his night had started and decided to head back to the servant’s quarters. As he spun to make his way down the hall, he swore he saw a flash of a snow-white suit watching him leave.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey everyone, even though it hasn't progressed too much I hope you're liking my story so far. The pandemic has taken a massive toll on my mental health so I decided to focus some of that energy into writing, so this really is like therapy for me. I've planned out a good majority of this story and I'm really enjoying where it's heading, so please feel free to stay and see where this goes. If you have any questions or suggestions, please don't hesitate to comment down below. I'm always looking to improve my writing. Also, I wanted to say thank you for the lovely comments on my first chapter. You don't know how much those mean to me. Anyways, I hope you decide to stay and see where this is headed.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter Three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Philip, I have received Daniel’s consent to appoint you as his private guard.”</p><p>The sound of a pin dropping would have been deafening in the otherwise silent office.</p><p>Phil’s eyes widened as all of the breath left his lungs. His already snowy skin tone turned even paler as he clutched onto the seat of his chair, trying to will his ears to hear correctly. He swears he must have misheard the man, because he was certain that what he heard could not have been correct.</p><p>The King smiled kindly at Phil, brown eyes creasing at their points.</p><p>“I must admit, I am just as surprised as you are.” The King started avidly, circling around his desk.</p><p>“You did a phenomenal job last night, I would never deny that, but I was afraid Daniel was too set in his ways to see how necessary your position could be.”</p><p>Happiness encouraged The King to talk faster, allowing a smile to season his words with delight. He rested his hands behind him on the wooden desk, facing Phil with a look of satisfaction plastered on his face.</p><p>“Apparently he saw the error of his mindset, because he met me this morning with a much less resentful attitude. He told me that he spoke it over with Johanna last night, and they came to the conclusion that if Daniel should have a personal guard, which is non-negotiable to me, then it should be someone as willing to respect his space as you are.”</p><p>Phil’s heart lightened at hearing this. Of course he was always going to be respectful of Daniel’s introverted nature, but he hardly thought that would gain him such high points. The young prince must truly enjoy his private time, especially if a gesture as small as the one Phil had made in the garden last night was the deciding factor in this arrangement.</p><p>Above him, The King sat brimming with content. His shoulders were more relaxed than Phil had ever seen them, accompanied by a small smile gracing his usually furrowed face. Clearly the task of trying to acquire his son’s approval of a private guard had been a harsh battle on the aging man, but now that the war was won his features softened into a much warmer appearance.</p><p>As the king of a growing country, Phil imagined that stress was a common pest to the man in front of him, but it would seem that this feud with Daniel had tired him out more than years of military planning or economic negotiation ever could.</p><p>“Of course my son is still not pleased, but at the very least he said he would tolerate having a guard on hand. Phil, I’m not sure how you won him over, but I am very grateful for you, my boy.” King Marcus sighed softly before walking to a desk on the opposite side of the room, continuing to speak over his shoulder as he began gathering a hefty pile of papers.</p><p>“You’ve proven yourself to be a hard worker plenty of times since you’ve started working at my castle, but for this job you are going to have to work more diligently than you ever have before.”</p><p>Phil’s eyes followed the older man, watching him scan over sheets of paper before tucking them carefully into a brown folder. Every once in a while The King would stop to make a small note with his pen, scratching an important notation onto the crisp paper.</p><p>“I am gathering a collection of important information pertaining to your new position. It will contain everything from your uniform standards to Daniel’s medical history. I expect you to have it all memorized by this time next week, but you will be starting your shifts sooner. Hopefully as soon as tonight if you feel up for it.”</p><p>Phil nodded to himself before he realized The King was too focused on creating Daniel’s file to see the gesture.</p><p>“Of course, your highness. If you believe it would be the most sensible course of action, I will gladly start tonight.” Phil said, a newly found confidence painting his voice like a glittering suit of armor.</p><p>***</p><p>The first task on Phil’s list was getting into a proper uniform. Which is how he found himself in his current position, staring at his reflection while getting stabbed with pins with varying degrees of intensity. The seamstress clearly had their mind strictly on taking Phil’s correct measurements rather than worrying about the little pricks now littering the boy’s body.</p><p>Phil had been inside the tailor’s wing a few times since he had started working at the castle, but never was his presence taken with such gravity. The times he had been here prior were simply to replace a fallen button or broken hem on his standard-issued guard uniform, which was a rare occasion.</p><p>Though they were somewhat formal, the uniforms of the palace guard staff were specifically made simple and sturdy so the seamstresses wouldn’t have to deal with mineute issues every moment of the day. Each soldier was given the same set of garments: a plain undershirt, a navy blue tunic patterned with an infinitesimal amount of gold appliqué, and a pair of pants to match.<br/>
Shoes and other accessories were left to the administration of the royal cobbler and weaponsmith, both of which provided wares of equal durability. Every item was identical, though sizes varied slightly between soldiers, which meant little alterations were left on the seamstresses plates.</p><p>The uniform Phil was currently being fitted for resembled his old one, although this upgraded jacket had more gold embellishments. He also was told that he would get a bigger sword, which he was very excited about.</p><p>A lanky brunette boy, the facilitator behind the pin ambush, circled his way in front of Phil. With a pencil stuck between his teeth, he looked over his work before swiftly turning to make some notes.</p><p>“You know, we may have to order you another size up. Your biceps are huge, my friend.” The tailor said with a chuckle. Phil laughed too, thinking back to all of the carbo-loading he had to do to gain his muscle mass.</p><p>“They give us enough food over in the soldier’s wing that you would assume they were trying to feed a herd of elephants. It seems to have worked though.” Phil chuckled, jokingly flexing in the mirror. The tailor swatted at Phil’s arm with a laugh.</p><p>“Don’t do that! You’re going to move the pins.”</p><p>“I’m not too worried about the pins. You’ve stabbed me enough times that my skin could be a connect-the-dot puzzle.” Phil said with a grin, shrugging his arms back to his sides. As much as he joked, he really didn’t want to be stabbed more than he needed to. The tailor shook his head lightheartedly before etching another scribble into his notebook.</p><p>“If it helps at all, you’re almost done. I have a few more measurements I need but then I should be finished and you can be on your way to study Dan’s personal life.”</p><p>Phil looked to the tailor, observing him as he continued his calculated notes in his brown book. The boy had used Prince Daniel’s name with an obvious degree of informality, and Phil was intrigued. From what he understood, The Prince didn’t have too many companions, besides Johanna and his brother of course, and Phil was curious as to what role this tailor played in his life.</p><p>“Do you know The Prince well?” Phil asked, an air of apprehension in his voice. The tailor looked to Phil with green eyes shining with amusement.</p><p>“He hasn’t told you about me?” He asked with a smile before focusing back on his notes.</p><p>“No. Though honestly, he hasn’t talked to me much about anything. He doesn’t seem to like me very much.”</p><p>The tailor allowed a fond sigh to escape his mouth, a smile growing on his lips.</p><p>“That sounds like him. Well then, I suppose I should formally introduce myself. I’m Pj, the current head of staff in the textiles wing, and Dan’s personal stylist.”</p><p>Phil’s shoulders slackened, confusion written on his face.</p><p>“The Prince needs a personal stylist?”</p><p>“Of course! You think he made that suit he wore last night himself? Please, as much as I love Dan, the kid doesn’t have an ounce of fashion sense in his entire body.” Pj quipped.</p><p>“But to answer your question further, Dan and I have known each other for years. We met a while ago when I was only an apprentice. I was assisting my mother with one of his fittings, it was my first time around the royal family, and he noticed how nervous I was. Though we were only ten at the time, Dan had the boldness to make my mother stop in the middle of her project because he had to make an ‘important errand’”. Pj rolled his eyes in remembrance before continuing, his voice brightening as he recalled the event.</p><p>“A few minutes later he arrived back with a slice of chocolate cake. He handed it to me before telling my mother to proceed with her work. Apparently he thought cake would help calm my nerves. Later that night, he came to my family’s quarters to personally thank us for our work that day. Even as a kid he carried himself with more reverence than I will probably ever have. Ever since then, he and I became quite close.”</p><p>Pj’s freckled face lit up as he finished his story, wearing a doting expression. He stepped back up to Phil with a white pencil, marking select dashes between the pins. Phil felt his heart soften as he thought back of a little Daniel. His childish gesture was full of innocence and purity, and Phil was convinced that Daniel’s personality hadn’t changed much from when he was a kid. Though The Prince hadn’t let Phil push past his harsh exterior quite yet, he was certain that his heart still held an overwhelming amount of sweetness.</p><p>Phil could feel the light scrape of the pencil through his jacket fabric as Pj began to speak again.</p><p>“I like you, Phil. I think you’ll be good for Dan. Just try not to prod too much and give him space. He’ll warm up to you in no time.”</p><p>After a few more minutes of measurements, Phil was released from the textiles wing. He was sent out with a pristine new uniform, with the promise that another week’s set will be made for him within the next few days.</p><p>Now that the facile chore of getting a new uniform was done, Phil was ready to divulge into the overwhelming task of learning Daniel’s entire history. King Marcus had given him Daniel’s file, which was filled to the brim with information. Upon inspection, Phil saw there was a complete medical history, tutoring schedules, meal plans, and even the general likes and dislikes of the young prince compiled in the folder.</p><p>It was a daunting amount of information to learn in the span of a week, but Phil was filled with determination to not only complete his task, but to excel at it. He was not known to be a quitter, and he wasn't going to start now. Especially since this was the biggest job opportunity he had been given since his start at the castle. He decided to retire to the palace library to spend the remainder of the afternoon in a state of quiet study.</p><p>He pushed the large doors open with his shoulder as he held the file closer to him, worrying that something would spill out of the colossal collection if he loosened his grip. As he stepped in, he noticed the library was mostly empty, save the elderly librarian shelving books in the corner. </p><p>Soft rays of sunlight crept in through the inordinate floor-to-ceiling windows lining the walls, casting a beautiful golden hue onto the long lines of bookshelves. Phil walked across the polished floor to an empty table near a window which overlooked the garden. He sat with a thud and began shuffling through his assignment.</p><p>He decided to tackle The Prince’s medical history first, as this seemed the most essential to his overall well-being. He pulled a booklet out from the file titled with Daniel’s name, and the words ‘medical notes and accounts’ printed cleanly on the front.</p><p>The first page was short, listing a few allergies The Prince had acquired over the years. Phil made note to keep him away from pollen, grass, and cats.</p><p>It also held incredibly precise accounts of Daniel’s body measurements and normal vitals. This seemed fairly typical to Phil. Of course a prince would need pretty exhaustive notes regarding his overall well-being. Although Daniel was 19 years of age, his body weight appeared comparable to a child. Not only that, his height was significantly less than Phil’s, who stood at a towering 6’3. Despite saying Daniel was small would be the understatement of the century, it seemed that his growth was steady throughout the years, so Phil decided not to linger on it for too long.</p><p>The next few pages of the book held fairly unnoteworthy information. There were just a few overly-detailed yet comprehensive descriptions of small accidents leading to scrapes or sprains, and an especially lengthy account of a tree-climbing incident that resulted in a broken arm. Beyond the small collection of injury descriptions, nothing caught Phil’s eye until the last page.</p><p>It showed that Daniel’s most recent injury happened less than a month ago, right around the beginning of spring. Unlike the other accounts, this incident was kept very brief with hardly any description. All it read was: ‘March 3rd, 1:32 am, Prince Daniel James Howell was hospitalized due to an injury. He remained under the hospital’s care for the next eight days, until he was released on March 11th, 6:17 pm due to a personal request for leave from Daniel himself.’</p><p>Phil’s brain was going through every possible scenario that could have landed The Prince in the hospital wing for over a week, and none of them were particularly pleasant. He couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in his gut, urging him to find more information on the event. Every other injury account, no matter how small, was pages long, describing everything from how he obtained it to the placement on his body. Whatever happened a month ago clearly was different somehow, and Phil made a mental note to ask Johanna about it when he had the chance.</p><p>Phil was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard the large library doors open with a thud. He looked up to see a chipper looking Johanna with Prince Daniel following closely behind, holding an armful of textbooks. As Johanna made her way to a table towards the front, Phil caught her eye. She whispered something to Daniel, who was already setting up his study station, before making her way over to the guard.</p><p>“Good afternoon, Phil! It’s so nice to see you again! What brings you to the library?” She asked with a warm smile, taking the seat diagonal from Phil.</p><p>“I’m working on memorizing The Prince’s files. For such a young man, he certainly has a lot of information I have to look through.” Phil said with a grin, thankful for Johanna’s company. She reached over the table and started to sift through some of Daniel’s paperwork, before neatly stacking it and returning it to the file. She took it and tied it close before standing, smiling mischievously at Phil.</p><p>“Now that I have you all packed, you’re coming to sit with Dan and I.” She started to stand from the table, straightening her apron in the process. Phil’s heart started racing. He reached for Johanna’s sleeve and gently stopped her trek to the other table.</p><p>“Don’t you think The Prince will mind? I promised I would give him space, and even now that I officially have this job I still intend to keep my word. I don’t want to upset him”</p><p>Johanna rolled her eyes, a smirk gracing her face.</p><p>“While your virtue is admirable, it also makes you very hard to work with. Just come with me. I promise he won’t bite.”</p><p>She grabbed Phil’s arm with one hand and his file in the other and made her way over to her table, where The Prince sat quietly reading his book. When they arrived, Daniel looked up at Phil questioningly before turning sharply to his maid.</p><p>“Johanna, I came here to study French, not to make friends with my guard.”</p><p>Johanna took a poised seat next to Daniel before whacking him on the back of his head, using more force than Phil deemed necessary.</p><p>“You need to learn to be more gracious to the people working to help you. If you want me to help you study, you’re going to be nice to Phil. And to my knowledge, no one in this castle speaks French as fluently as I do, so I suggest you sit and be kind.”</p><p>Dan’s brown eyes glared at Johanna with an unsettlingly deep annoyance. He muttered something that sounded like a displeased submission to her request before turning back to his work. Johanna seemed pleased with herself and motioned Phil to take the seat next to her. He hesitantly sat down, immediately feeling ashamed that he had already upset his prince.</p><p>“Now Daniel, translate this phrase for me.” She pressed her index finger to the open textbook, pointing at a short sentence. Daniel’s displeased attitude seemed to subside as he took a look at what Johanna was pointing to. He pressed his fingers to his mouth, lost in a moment of thought.</p><p>“Les fleurs sont belles dans le jardin à cette période de l'année… that would translate to ‘the flowers are beautiful in the garden this time of year.’” Johanna nodded with a pleased expression.</p><p>“Very good! I knew you had been studying but that was a fairly complex one. Would you like to try another?”</p><p>Daniel looked as if he was about to agree before he locked eyes with Phil. He plastered on a small grin before turning back to Johanna.</p><p>“How about you translate this one for me? Je veux que cet idiot parte pour que je puisse meconcentrer.”</p><p>Johanna’s eyes widened and she slapped Daniel again on the back of the head.</p><p>“Ne parlez jamais ainsi de nos invités! C'est incroyablement impoli, mon enfant!” She screamed. Johanna continued lecturing Daniel in French, but he was too busy trying to fight his giggles to focus. Phil knew it was probably an insult about him, but the whole ordeal was rather amusing. He let out a chuckle before opening up Daniel’s file, hoping he could tune out Johanna’s scolding while he studied.</p><p>He drew out his next booklet, which appeared to be an assemblage of Daniel’s school and eating schedules. He began to read the first page when he felt something poke at his shoulder. When he looked up, his eyes met a doe-eyed Daniel watching him, looking curiously at the booklet.</p><p>“What’s that?” The Prince asked plainly, tucking his hands to rest neatly under his chin. Phil stared at him blankly. Was The Prince really initiating conversation? He knew that he would probably willingly talk to him at some point, but he never expected it to be so early on. He thought he was still on the silent treatment. He cleared his throat before speaking, willing his words to work properly.</p><p>“Your files. The King wants me to have them memorized by next week.” Daniel eyed the booklet nosily before plucking it from Phil’s hands, inspecting the page.</p><p>“He’s making you memorize my eating schedule? Does he know i’m not an infant?”</p><p>“You certainly act like one.” Johanna iritatidley spat, crossing her legs in her seat.</p><p>Phil laughed, feeling his lungs expand in his tightly-wound chest. Daniel scooted closer to Phil in his chair, nearly grazing Phil’s suit fabric with his own satin shirt.</p><p>“What else is he having you memorize?”</p><p>Phil opened the folder and pushed it closer to Daniel, allowing him to look inside.</p><p>“It’s mostly your medical and school records with some extra information mixed in. I’ve actually looked over a good portion of your medical documents already. Is it true you sprained your wrist twice in a month when you were seven?”</p><p>Daniel’s head shot up at Phil before shyly ducking back down. He tucked a curl behind his ear as he cleared his throat.</p><p>“I hope these records don’t share the details of how I sprained it?”</p><p>“They do actually. I’m not surprised you sprained it the first time while playing ball, but I didn’t know it was possible to sprain your wrist whilst grooming a horse, however I suppose you somehow managed to prove me wrong.” Phil joked with a smile. The Prince’s face flushed a light pink as he tried to look focused on the documents in front of him. After a moment his eyes met Phil’s again, this time accompanied by a small boyish grin.</p><p>“In my defense, horses are a lot more aggressive than you think. I didn’t realize brushing his face would cause him to headbutt me to the ground.”</p><p>Johanna let out a guttural laugh, eyes creasing into crescent moons. Daniel looked at her pointedly before giving her shoulder a light push. The woman sat up after containing her breath, smiling at the boy next to her.</p><p>“Sweet Daniel, animals don’t particularly like you, do they?” She asked with pity.</p><p>Phil smiled as he recalled another note in his chart.</p><p>“I do seem to remember reading about a certain incident with a cat when you were eleven.”</p><p>“I didn’t know I was allergic! How was I supposed to know playing with a stray would cause a reaction!” Phil smiled at the boy’s attempt to defend himself. Dan laughed quietly before passing Phil his booklet back. His smile was quickly replaced with a neutral, untelling expression. The lighthearted conversation seemed to have momentarily broken through his shell, and he looked eager to shield himself back into his study.</p><p>Phil’s heart felt lighter as he took his book from the boy. He was worried Daniel would be put off by the light humor, but he was satisfied to see his strategy had worked slightly. Phil thought this may be a good opportunity to ask a question still lingering in the back of his mind.</p><p>“I did have a question for you, Prince Daniel.”</p><p>Daniel looked up from his French textbook hesitantly, his eyes still shining with the same uncertainty that glistened the first night they met. Johanna looked to Phil as well after placing a bookmark in her work.</p><p>“There was one part in your medical accounts that had hardly no information and I was hoping you could fill me in, it looks like an accident happened a month or so ago-”</p><p>Before Phil could finish his sentence Daniel stood up from the table and started gathering his belongings. Johanna stood as well, a nervous expression painting her dark complexion.</p><p>“Actually, I cannot help you with that. Have a nice day, Phil.”</p><p>Daniel grabbed Johanna’s arm and practically sprinted out of the room. Phil was left by himself, dumbfounded and alone. All he did was ask a simple question, so what on earth could have offended The Prince so intensely that he had to make an exit of that degree?</p><p>Phil sat back in his chair with a sigh, his hands rubbing tiredly over his face. He hoped he hadn’t fucked up too bad, but he knew this certainly would stick on Daniel’s perception of him. Even if today wasn’t going as well as he hoped, Phil optimistically prayed that The Prince would take pity on him and give their arrangement some more time to become situated.</p><p>Phil was sure more awkward moments would come up, but he made note to strongly attempt to not speak of this conversation until Daniel was ready.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm sorry I made you guys wait a week, I promise next one will get done sooner! My neighborhood got a lot of snow this week and it's made writing a little tricky. All I want to do is sit and watch it instead of doing my actual responsibilities. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If you have any feedback, please feel free to leave it in the comments. I read every single one and they truly make my day. I hope you are staying healthy and as happy as you can be in this time of uncertainly. I am wishing you all nothing but love and peace for the upcoming weeks. xx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Phil’s first few days of his new position went by quickly. He spent most of his time in the library tucked into a study corner, wanting to memorize the rest of Daniel’s folder to the best of his abilities. King Marcus had asked Johanna to keep an eye on Daniel while Phil was studying, which the guard much appreciated.</p><p>Although it was a lot to learn, Phil finally felt confident that he had learned everything in that damn folder, thanks to many sleepless nights, and he now found himself preparing to start working beside The Prince personally.</p><p>Phil knew the hard part of his work was just beginning. Even if he had won The King’s approval, Phil still had to work on gaining Daniel’s. He hoped that they would be able to brush off the incident in the library from a few days prior, but Daniel has yet to speak to Phil. He knew The Prince was a shy person, but Phil still felt the lingering hunch that he was being avoided on purpose.<br/>
Unfortunately for Daniel, he may have to make up with his guard sooner than he would have liked to due to Phil’s most recent instructions. The King had requested Phil to change rooms so he could remain closer to Daniel if necessary, and Phil had spent the whole day moving.</p><p>He didn’t have an abundance of momentos to move, but he did have a fair share of clothes and books he needed to transport to his new quarters. Thankfully, he was able to convince his old roommate to help him get set up in his new living space.</p><p>Chris let out a deep sigh as he dropped a box to the floor. He fixed his coffee-colored hair and smiled widely at Phil</p><p>“Jesus, Phil. You could fit our old room and the kitchen in here! I bet a giant like you couldn’t even touch the ceiling!” Chris exclaimed.</p><p>It was true, this new room was massive compared to his old one. The one he and Chris had shared only had enough space to fit a bunk bed and their small wardrobe, along with a desk to store some personal belongings. It was hardly enough space for two giant men like themselves to share, but they made do. This room, however, looked as if it could easily house half of the guard staff and their entire families. </p><p>It had marble floors that echoed every footstep you took, and beautiful wallpaper adorned the room. Paintings with every color you could imagine stood in contrast against the sophisticated white furniture. It all seemed a bit excessive to Phil, but he had expected that.</p><p>What he wasn’t expecting, however, was that him and The Prince would now be sharing a wall. The King did tell him that he would be moving to a closer proximity to his son, but Phil didn’t realize he would actually be in Daniel’s private wing.</p><p>The idea of sharing the same space as Daniel made it hard for Phil to breathe. He wanted nothing more than to give Daniel space, especially since that’s all he’s asked for since the very beginning, and now it felt like he was suffocating the poor boy, hardly giving him enough space to think.</p><p>Phil understood that as The Prince’s private guard he would need to remain within a close distance, but he hoped Daniel wouldn’t think of his presence as too overbearing. Phil noticed how apprehensive the boy was about this whole arrangement from the very beginning, even though he did agree to it, and he intended to stay out of The Prince’s way as much as possible. It was the least he could do for him.</p><p>Phil was brought out of his thoughts when a strong hand clapped his shoulder.</p><p>“Hey man, we gotta get this room a guest bed. I hope you know i’ll be staying over here a lot.” Chris said with a smirk. Phil playfully shoved his shoulder, rolling his eyes as he did so.<br/>
He wouldn’t mind Chris staying over all that much. He had loved the guy since he met him all those years ago at defense training. They both were the runts of the group, lanky and thin, and they tended to get pushed around by some of the bigger guys in the force. The two bonded quickly and became pretty dependable training buddies. Before long, the two men were breaking every record in their troop. From weight lifting to swimming, Chris and Phil were always at the top. The two had depended on each other for a long time, so Phil thought it was only natural for Chris to come by every once in a while for very manly sleepovers and such.</p><p>Right as the two were unboxing the last parcel, they heard a faint knock on the door. Phil walked over to the lavishly carved wooden door and opened it swiftly. On the other side stood the tailor from a few days ago, his curly hair just as unruly and boyish as Phil had remembered. Pj looked up at Phil with a smile adorning his freckled face, holding a set of garment bags over his shoulder.</p><p>“Hello, Phil! I finally had the chance to finish these up for you! They’re your sets of uniforms. I worked on them personally to ensure they were made perfect for you.”</p><p>Phil smiled at the petite man and opened the door further.</p><p>“Why don’t you come on in, Pj? I’m only finishing up unpacking.” Phil gestured to his room with a smile. The tailor shook his head lightly and adjusted the weight of clothes on his arm.</p><p>“Unfortunately I have to run to Dan’s room after this. He broke off one of the buttons on a jacket and I need to mend it.” The tailor said fondly. Before either of them had a chance to say another word, Phil felt the door whip open violently behind him, revealing a happy looking Chris. Phil’s friend smiled unashamedly at the smaller boy in front of him and extended a hand.</p><p>“Hi, I’m Chris.” Pj took the man’s hand softly in his small grip and gave it a quick shake.</p><p>“Hello, I’m Pj. I’m sorry, Phil, I didn’t realize you had company.” Pj said with a blush, looking sheepishly towards Phil. Phil opened his mouth to hush the boy’s concerns, he really wasn’t interrupting anything, but Chris quickly took the lead.</p><p>“Don’t worry, angel. You came at the perfect time. We were just about to send for tea and I would love it if you joined us. And let me take those from you, someone like you shouldn’t have to do heavy lifting.” Chris took the garment bags from Pj and swung them over his shoulder as if they were as light as feathers, and placed his hand on the smaller boy’s arm.</p><p>Pj looked up at Chris with wide eyes before changing his gaze to focus on the delicate hand on his arm. He swallowed nervously before looking back up to Chris.</p><p>“I really appreciate the offer, but I really must be going. Thank you for the invitation, Chris.”</p><p>Before Pj could step back, Chris softly tightened his grip on the other’s arm, careful not to frighten the boy.</p><p>“When can I see your pretty face again?” Chris asked smoothly, brown eyes studying Pj’s flustered expression. Phil hid his laughter under a small smile, smirking at his friend’s fantical attempt at flirting. He noticed Pj’s face only seemed to blush more at the compliment.</p><p>“I’m sure i’ll see you around Phil again. Have a nice day.” Pj uttered out, clearly trying to force more confidence in his voice than he truly had. Chris let the boy’s arm wiggle out of his hand without struggle and watched him scurry to the next room.</p><p>Phil closed the door with a chuckle, looking expectantly towards his friend. Chris had on the most dazed and bewildered smile he had ever seen, but it soon shifted into annoyance when he locked eyes with Phil.</p><p>“Why didn’t you ever tell me about him?”</p><p>“About Pj? We only met a few days ago at my fitting. I didn’t realize you would take such a liking to him.” Phil nudged his friend’s shoulder. Chris shook it off and smiled to himself.</p><p>“That’s the prettiest boy I’ve ever seen. I’m definitely going to have to hang around here more.” Phil rolled his eyes but smiled at his friend. Chris had always been a romantic, but Phil had never seen him so instantaneously enamoured with someone before. He certainly wouldn't mind if Chris somehow managed to get Pj to agree to date him. After all, he did need some serious help with dressing himself better.</p><p>Phil was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard the soft trill of piano keys floating through the air. Chris seemed to notice it too and broke out of his love-sick trance.</p><p>“That music is almost as pretty as the tailor. Do you think The King hired a pianist?”</p><p>“I’m not sure. It is awfully pretty though.” Phil commented. He decided not to mention he thought the beautiful music was coming from The Prince’s room. That seemed like yet another breach on his privacy that he was unwilling to break.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>The day had gone by fast and Chris had left for dinner with the other soldiers, leaving Phil to finish the last of his unpacking. It didn’t take too much longer than Phil had anticipated, but he was exhausted by the end of it. Despite being a well-trained soldier, heavy labor wasn’t necessarily one of his favorite activities.</p><p>He gathered a few soft towels from his wardrobe and undressed for a warm shower. As he stood under the steaming water, watching small drops trail their way down his pale skin, he noticed the soft music still playing from the other room.</p><p>Phil had concluded that the person playing was in fact Prince Daniel. He recalled part of Daniel’s folder listing piano as one of his hobbies, stating that he had been playing for the majority of his life.</p><p>As lovely as the music was, Phil couldn’t help but feel concerned. The music had started when Chris was still helping him unpack, and that had been hours ago. Now it was the late hours of night and it continued to lilt celestially through the walls of the palace, painting every inch of Phil’s room with melodies.</p><p>More than anything, Phil wanted to check on The Prince and make sure he was doing okay. He had missed dinner hour, and as enchanting as Daniel’s playing was, he could hear that the quality of his playing was slowly starting to decrease after hours and hours of practice.</p><p>Phil turned off the hot water and enveloped himself in a plush white towel, satisfied that the water relaxed his sore muscles. He changed into a plain pair of sweats and a cotton shirt and quietly made his way into his big bed.</p><p>Although he was alone in the room, he felt as if the tiniest noise would disturb the palace. He didn’t realize how late it was until he had the covers wrapped up under his chin. He took a peak at the clock on his side table and sighed. 3:11am. It was far too late for Phil to be up, but he couldn’t will himself to sleep with the euphonious piano still playing through his wall.</p><p>It wasn’t that the music was bothering him, actually it had been incredibly soothing, however it had made Phil more than a little concerned for Daniel. It was hard to sleep when he knew the person he was supposed to be taking care of wasn’t getting their needed rest. Phil wanted nothing more than to march over to The Prince’s room and convince him to get some sleep, but Phil wasn’t going to even consider crossing that boundary. Daniel wanted space, and Phil had promised that he would see to that.</p><p>Phil sat up in bed suddenly when he heard the music stop. He listened quietly as he heard the shuffling of feet from The Prince’s bedroom. It sounded like they were heading for the door, and Phil took this as the perfect time to check on Daniel without having to invade his personal space. He sprung out of bed and swung the door open just in time to see a sleepy looking prince leaving his room.</p><p>Daniel locked eyes with Phil and cocked his head.</p><p>“Phil, what are you doing up so late? You should be asleep by now.” Daniel said in a whisper, rubbing the sleep out of his tired eyes. He walked to Phil’s door with sock-padded feet and looked up to the taller man for an explanation through sleepy eyelashes.</p><p>Phil smiled at the younger boy’s attempt to be stern. His scolding words didn’t hold too much weight when they were spoken by a boy about to collapse from exhaustion.</p><p>“I was enjoying my private concert. Who knew Mozart and Chopin could be so exhilarating?” Phil joked easily. Daniel looked up at Phil with worried eyes.</p><p>“Oh God, I didn’t keep you awake, did I? I’m so sorry.” Daniel began to fiddle with his sleeves, clearly in distress at the concept of keeping Phil from a good night’s sleep. Phil shook his head and smiled at the shorter boy.</p><p>“Not at all, I was just finishing unpacking. Your music was quite nice to listen to while working.”</p><p>The Prince seemed to relax a little at this, allowing himself to rest on the wall adjacent to Phil’s door. Phil tried not to notice the fatigue painting Daniel’s face, or how his too-big sweatshirt was hanging off his shoulder, exposing his pronounced collarbones.</p><p>Phil found it quite odd that The Prince was allowed to wear such casual sleepwear. In his mind, he was picturing the royals to have nothing less than chiffon robes and satin pajamas, but Daniel broke that image. The Prince stood in nothing more than a pair of boxers and a sweatshirt nearly reaching his knees. Phil would never tell him this, but he found it quite endearing.</p><p>Daniel continued fidgeting with his sleeves, still not entirely convinced he wasn’t being a nuisance.</p><p>“I am sorry if I was bothering you with my playing. I’m glad you’re done unpacking now though, I know that can be stressful.”</p><p>Phil ignored The Prince’s comment and instead focused on his face. His expression was entirely dripping with exhaustion, and it appeared that he would topple over at any moment. Phil shifted his arms, hoping his concern wasn’t bleeding through as much as he thought.</p><p>“It really wasn’t a bother at all. Why are you still awake, though? No offense, your highness, but you look exhausted.”</p><p>Daniel met Phil’s concerned gaze and shook his head lightly.</p><p>“I just wasn’t tired yet. I was going to go get some tea to see if that would help.”</p><p>Phil narrowed his eyes, looking over the boy once more. Clearly he was lying, but Phil didn’t want to press it. Whether it was the sleep deprivation or just pure change of heart, Daniel was being willingly kindhearted to him and he didn’t want to screw it up.</p><p>“Do you want me to escort you to the kitchen? Or call one of the maids to get some for you? I worry about you wandering around so late.” Phil said quietly, not wanting to appear too overbearing.</p><p>Daniel shook his head with a yawn.</p><p>“That’s very kind of you, but I will go get it myself. Why don’t you go to bed? I’ll be done playing for the night so you can get some rest. Have a good night, Phil.”</p><p>Before Phil could respond, the young prince left for his tea. Phil really wanted to know what was keeping Daniel awake when he was so clearly tired, but he chose to keep it for himself. He was sure it was only his exhaustion, but Phil’s heart felt lighter when recalling their conversation. It was uncharacteristically kind, and Phil had hoped Daniel was finally warming up to him.</p><p>Phil slumped back into bed, practically melting into the memory foam mattress. After a few minutes he heard Daniel stagger back into his room. Phil only fell asleep when he heard the shuffling of bedsheets and quiet snores come from The Prince’s room.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I apologize for the long wait, but I'm quite happy with how this chapter came out! I've been pretty busy since the last chapter, but I'm finally back into my groove. How do you guys feel about me incorporating some of Pj and Chris into this? I know some people have mixed reviews about them in stories but I quite like them. Just let me know and I'll make sure to develop their storyline further down the road. I really hope you like this one, and I hope you all have a lovely easter if you celebrate. :) xx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter Five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Phil eyed the heaping mound of pancakes on the table, letting the comforting smell of honey and toast sweep through his nose. In front of the royal family lay a delectable display of berries, sweet cream, baked goods, teas, and everything else that made Phil’s mouth water. Unfortunately for him, Phil couldn’t indulge in the delicious goods, no matter how wonderful they looked.</p>
<p>	He currently stood guard at the entrance of the dining hall, watching the royal family eat to their heart’s content. He knew he was on duty, but the amazing smells made it hard not to pull up a chair next to them and dig in.</p>
<p>	Luckily he had Johanna at his side, as she was accompanying Daniel as usual, standing nearby in case the young prince needed anything. She stood silently next to Phil, listening quietly to the nearby conversation.</p>
<p>	At the table, King Marcus and Prince Adrian were talking quickly to each other, thoughts and debates shooting to each other like darts, but Phil was more focused on the smallest member of the royal line.</p>
<p>	Prince Daniel sat quietly, eyes softly fluttering open and shut like butterfly wings, willing himself to stay awake. The sun peeking in through the sheer curtains seemed to do little to wake his heavy head, and his sweater was spilling over his hands and torso like a blanket, almost daring him to curl up and fall asleep in it.</p>
<p>	Phil knew of course that Daniel hadn’t slept well the previous night. Playing piano into the early hours of the morning certainly would hinder anyone from feeling particularly ebullient, but The Prince looked like he was struggling to even lift a fork to his mouth.</p>
<p>	Despite his worry, Phil decided to focus his thoughts on the King and elder prince’s conversation. Their tones were getting more exasperated and Phil was intrigued.</p>
<p>	“Listen son, I didn’t tell you because it wasn’t worth getting you worked up about something so insignificant. No one was hurt and the civil military force handled it with haste; there is no more discussion to be had about the matter!” The King insisted, rubbing his aging temples with his thumbs.</p>
<p>	Prince Adrian looked irritated at the other end of the table as he argued back.</p>
<p>	“Insignificant? How on earth is a rebel ambush insignificant? I understand that no one was hurt but it’s still a threat to the monarchy! You didn’t even alert the palace guards! What if something were to happen?”</p>
<p>	“The attack was two towns over! If it was a serious threat they would have come directly to the palace instead of wasting their time on burning a townhouse. Everyone is safe and that is all that matters. Don’t you understand that, Adrian? The rebels already think of us as weak, we can’t give them more reasons to believe that.” The King said pointedly, willing Adrian to see his point of view.</p>
<p>	Phil had figured something like this would happen soon. There had always been small uprisings and riots throughout the kingdom, usually for something simple like people protesting large companies to give their employees better wages, or citizens calling for assistance during the more poverty-stricken months, but this was The Salvation Order, and they were entirely different.</p>
<p>	The Salvation Order was a group of rebels fighting to destroy the monarchy, and they were willing to use any kind of violence, fear, or manipulation to get their way. Their main motive was to dismantle the current royal family and replace them, but Phil thought that was completely mindless.</p>
<p>	Why would they even consider replacing a perfectly good monarchy for people with no experience? And who would they think to replace them with? Rebels? Anarchy would rain throughout the kingdom to the point where they wouldn’t even have citizens to rule over.</p>
<p>	The reasoning behind their motivations also never quite made sense to Phil. They voiced that they were angry with the royals due to their lack of prioritizing the preserving the kingdom’s longevity. With King Marcus getting older and Prince Adrian seemingly not in a rush to marry, the rebels saw the family as careless.</p>
<p>	Phil knew that Adrian was putting his focus into his humanitarian projects instead of wedding so young and King Marcus was still ruling with considerable precision and grace, but the rebels didn’t seem to notice that.</p>
<p>	Thinking back, the royal family brought this kingdom up higher than it had been in centuries. King Marcus had almost entirely eliminated his citizen’s battle with homlessness, building dozens of shelters and providing thousands of job opportunities. The amount of schools and hospitals available to the public have doubled, and Adrian had been working endlessly on providing a sustainable food source that would stay plentiful during the winter. Phil couldn’t wrap his head around why people would want to rid the kingdom of their best rulers they’ve had in ages.</p>
<p>	Phil was taken out from his thoughts when The King softened his voice.</p>
<p>	“Daniel, are you doing okay, son?”</p>
<p> Daniel looked up from his sleep-depriven haze and blinked timidly.</p>
<p>	“Yes of course i’m doing okay. Just not very hungry this morning.”</p>
<p>	A small frown crossed The King’s face before he set down his napkin on the white tablecloth.</p>
<p>	“Alright. Well then, Daniel you are excused. I set up an appointment for you with Pj so he can take some updated measurements. He’s going to make you some new stylings for our upcoming trip to Auberon. I want you to look your best.”</p>
<p>	Daniel nodded quickly and stood up, walking through the large wooden doors into the hallway. Johanna and Phil followed closely behind, allowing The Prince to lead the way. Phil looked to Johanna and quietly cleared his throat.</p>
<p>	“Johanna, what is this about an upcoming trip? Is this something I should be aware of?”</p>
<p>	“Oh, it’s nothing you need to worry about right now. It’s still a few weeks away; I'm sure The King will give you all the details as the trip comes closer. We’re just doing Dan’s fitting early so Pj can have time to make alterations if needed.” </p>
<p>	Phil nodded. If Johanna said he didn’t have to worry about it, he wasn’t going to. He was sure it was just a small vacation of sorts.</p>
<p>	Soon the trio arrived at the tailor’s wing and Daniel swung the door open. A concentrated looking Pj stood at the other end of the room pinning some satin onto a mannequin, but looked up with a smile when they entered.</p>
<p>	“Danny! I’m so excited I get to see you today!” The tailor set down his fabric and walked up to wrap Daniel in a bear hug. The Prince hugged tightly back and smiled, happy to see his friend. When he pulled back, a look of concern flashed across Pj’s freckle-strewn face.</p>
<p>	“Dan. Why do you look like you have the plague? Did you sleep okay last night?”</p>
<p>	Daniel rolled his eyes and pushed his friend off of him.</p>
<p>	“Thanks Pj, you flatter me.”</p>
<p>	Pj looked unamused and turned to Johanna and Phil. An expecting look crossed his face as he waited for them to spill everything they knew about Daniel’s well-being.</p>
<p>	“Do either of you want to tell me what’s wrong? I know he won't fill me in unless I force it out of him.”</p>
<p>	Prince Daniel huffed and took Pj’s arm.</p>
<p>	“Stop bothering them. Let’s just do my measurements so you can get back to your actual work.” Daniel pulled Pj along into a small room blocked by a curtain.</p>
<p>	Johanna linked her arm with Phil’s and led him to a velvet-covered couch against the wall. She sat down and gestured for Phil to take the seat next to hers. She looked pensive for a moment, as if contemplating her thoughts, before she spoke.</p>
<p>	“Phil, do you know if Dan got any sleep last night?” She asked. Her gaze was worried but severely determined. Phil considered lying for a moment in case Daniel got mad for outing him to his maid as he would surely get a scolding from her, but he knew nothing would get past her.</p>
<p>	“No... I'm afraid he didn’t. He was up until early morning playing piano. He took a break to get some tea and I happened to be in the hall so I encouraged him to go to sleep, but i’m not sure how well he took my advice.” Phil said. Technically he was telling a little white lie about ‘happening’ to be in the hallway, but he didn’t want to tell her he had stayed up worrying about the poor boy. She was already fussing over Daniel, he didn’t want her to worry about him too.</p>
<p>	She sighed and looked down to her hands in her lap, fiddling with a loose thread from her apron.</p>
<p>	“Thank you, Phil. I figured he probably didn’t sleep well.”</p>
<p>	Her mood shifted as she plastered on a smile, telling Phil she had to fill him in on some of the gossip from the other maids. Phil wasn’t so sure what caused the change in mood, but he had a feeling it was her way of getting out of the conversation.</p>
<p>	Before long, Daniel and Pj reappeared from the fitting room having finished with measurements, and joined the two at the couch. Johanna gave a broad smile at the boys and suggested they take a walk in the gardens.</p>
<p>	“Please, Dan? You have some free time today and I think it would be good for you to get some fresh air. Pj and Phil will come too, right?” She looked to the two expectantly. They nodded and looked to The Prince.</p>
<p>	“Fine, but if it starts raining we’re coming right back inside. I don’t like the cold.”</p>
<p>	Johanna grinned happily as she once again hooked Phil’s arm with her’s, leading the way out the tailor’s doors. The morning sunshine glowed delicately through the large windows, illuminating the palace halls. The marble busts and refined paintings took the light with life, allowing it to further emphasize their mastership. The group couldn’t have been walking for more than a minute before a hand clapped down on Phil’s shoulder.</p>
<p>	Phil turned to see Chris with his usual wide grin on his face.</p>
<p>	“Crazy seeing you here, stranger.” Chris said, patting Phil’s shoulder with vigior. Phil was about to respond but Chris suddenly seemed way more interested in the curly-haired tailor standing next to him.</p>
<p>	“I wasn’t expecting to run into you today, beautiful. I hope Phil’s been treating you well.” Chris said, sending a wink towards the tailor. Pj quickly ducked his head to hide his reddening cheeks. Chris gave Pj a sappy smirk before turning his attention to Phil again. His smile lessened as he lowered his voice.</p>
<p>	“Phil, do you have a moment? I need to discuss something with you.”</p>
<p>	His eyes were hard and evoked a sense of urgency, leaving nervous chills running down Phil’s spine. Phil turned to Johanna, who nodded and led the other boys further down the hall to give the guards some space. Phil’s full attention was on Chris, who was nervously looking around the room.</p>
<p>	“I needed to talk to you about something. I don’t know much, but I think you should be informed. We just hired 100 more members of the guard staff. Normally we would hire one or two a month, not a hundred. No one’s telling us what’s going on, but I think something bad is happening that we don’t know about. Do you know anything?”</p>
<p>	Phil’s mind was racing miles a minute. He bit his nail roughly as he paced back and forth. He must have missed something The King had told him. Surely if something was wrong he would be informed, right? After all, it was his responsibility to look after The Prince. Of course he should be kept in the loop. But he wasn’t recalling anything of vital importance, and if what Chris is saying is correct, then clearly he wasn’t being fully kept up to date.</p>
<p>	“I overheard King Marcus talk about a small riot over in Claridicate County, but nothing that should be of too much worry. Besides that, I know just about as much as you do.” Phil said with a frown.</p>
<p>	Chris’s eyebrows furrowed for a moment before he sighed and looked back to Phil.</p>
<p>	“Thank you for filling me in. Maybe just keep an extra eye on The Prince. Hopefully they’ll tell us more later. Come on, I’ll escort you back to your group. I want to see that angel of a tailor again.”</p>
<p>	Phil chuckled at his friend as they walked over, interrupting Johanna reciting the long-winded history of a painting on the wall. Pj looked to Phil with relief, but his blush soon returned when he noticed Chris standing next to him, still looking at him with those lovesick eyes and enormous grin.</p>
<p>	“I’m afraid I must continue my rounds, but it was an absolute gift to see you again, my dear. I hope to see your lovely face again very soon.” Chris took Pj’s hand lightly and placed a small kiss on his knuckle. He flashed him a shy smile before waltzing away to join the rest of his crew.</p>
<p>	Pj stood as red as a rose gazing at his hand with disbelief. Daniel laughed and nudged his friend’s shoulder lightly, breaking the tailor out of his trance.</p>
<p>	“So, are you going to tell me about your new boyfriend?”</p>
<p>	“He’s not my boyfriend! He’s just… “</p>
<p>	“Just the love of your life?”</p>
<p>	“Oh, shut up.”</p>
<p>	The Prince giggled and intertwined his hand with Pj’s, leading him to the gardens with Johanna and Phil following closely behind. Phil liked seeing Daniel like this. He seemed carefree and happy, like how a person his age should be. He knew Daniel was raised with an abundance of maturity for his age, he had to be, but Phil enjoyed seeing the moments when his true character could peak through.</p>
<p>	Once they reached the garden, Daniel immediately strode to a rose bush, the same one he escaped to the night of the dinner party. Phil smiled as he watched Pj sit down and hand Daniel a daisy as he took his seat next to him. He watched as Daniel’s hand fumbled through the grass and plucked another white daisy.</p>
<p>	The Prince carefully started weaving flowers together to create a strand. Phil chuckled when he realized the boy was making a flower crown. It’s certainly a change from the crowns he usually wears, but it’s a welcome change.</p>
<p>	Phil and Johanna sat together on a patch of grass not too far away from the others and chatted absentmindedly, allowing the rays of sun to rest on their skin. Phil was in the middle of telling a story to Johanna about his last training when he felt a presence behind him. Phil turned around, senses on high alert, only to see Prince Adrian.</p>
<p>	“Hello Philip, do you mind if I speak to you for a moment in private?”</p>
<p>	Phil turned back to check on Daniel, who was still peacefully linking daisies together, before standing to join the older prince. He was getting a little worn out by all of these ‘private conversations’ everyone seemed to want to have today.</p>
<p>	The pair walked silently for a few minutes, Adrian, as poised as ever, walked silently with his hands at his sides, every so often glancing down to inspect a flower. Phil on the other hand, was trying to calm his raging nerves. The beautiful sights and smells of the garden did little to calm his anxious mind. First he’s questioned by The King, and now the eldest prince. Phil should be used to speaking to royalty by now but his nervously racing mind said otherwise.</p>
<p>	After what seemed like an eternity, Adrian finally spoke.</p>
<p>	“I asked you to accompany me privately so I could ask you a question. Do you know if Daniel slept okay last night?”</p>
<p>	Phil swallowed and shook his head.</p>
<p>	“No, your highness, he didn’t. I heard him playing his piano for most of the night, and it only stopped around 3’oclock in the morning. I ran into him in the hallway and encouraged him to sleep, but judging by the bags under his eyes this morning i’m not sure he took my advice.”</p>
<p>	Adrian seemed to think on this for a moment, eyes concentrated and firmly looking to the ground, before he looked back to Phil and gave a curt nod.</p>
<p>	“Alright. Thank you for your help, Philip.” Adrian began to leave, but not before Philip placed a gentle hand on his arm. There had been something on his mind all day and he thought Adrian might be his best bet of getting an answer.</p>
<p>	“Is the late night piano playing normal for Prince Daniel? It’s quite beautiful and it’s not a bother at all, but it worries me that he was up so late last night.” Phil said timidly. He didn’t mean to be so casual with his conversation with The Prince, but if it’s job to be Daniel’s guard, he was going to make sure Daniel was healthy and well.</p>
<p>	Adrian sucked a breath in before slowly letting it back out, locking eyes with Phil.</p>
<p>	“As of recently, it has been a habit of his. I will not tell you more, I don’t want to invade Daniel’s privacy, but I do appreciate your concern for him. I know this must be a lot to handle for you, but if something in the future concerns you about my brother, please do not hesitate to come to me. My room is right across from his and I am often up late, so if he needs anything, I'll be there. Have a nice day, Philip.” Adrian nodded and swiftly walked away, allowing Phil to re-join the others.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>	Phil stepped out of the blistering shower onto the cool tiles of his bathroom floor. He wrapped his waist in a towel and took another to his ebony hair, wringing the droplets from the strands and onto the floor.</p>
<p>	It had been a few hours after his walk he took with the others, and as lovely as it was, he was looking forward to having some solitary time in his bed to recharge. The clock on the wall showed it was nearing midnight. It was slightly later that Phil would have hoped, but he knew he would sleep extra well that night.</p>
<p>	He walked over to his wardrobe and changed into a simple pair of joggers and a sweatshirt, ready to resign for the night. Right as he was pulling back his bedsheets, he heard a piercing scream echo through his wall.</p>
<p>	Phil, suddenly wide awake, completely abandoned his promise to give Daniel his space. Pure panic was steering his actions, and at this moment, he didn’t care if The Prince got mad at him. He just needed to make sure he was safe.</p>
<p>	His sock-covered feet sprinted to the next room over, and he was quickly bolting through the young prince’s door. Everything looked normal for a moment. No one was breaking in and nothing seemed astray, but then Phil noticed the small bundle of blankets on the bed.</p>
<p>	Daniel lay on his side, curled into the tiniest ball possible, sobbing his heart out. Phil ran over to the boy and started to place a gentle hand on his shoulder but quickly moved it away, wanting to preserve as many boundaries as he could.</p>
<p>	“Daniel, are you okay? Are you hurt?” Phil started looking over the shaking boy, searching for any form of injury, when he noticed The Prince’s eyes were still softly shut. Though thick tears were streaming down his pale face and small sobs were leaving his mouth, the boy seemed to be asleep. Phil’s mind went to every possible outcome that could arise from this situation. Daniel was clearly having a nightmare, and Phil knew it wouldn’t stop unless he was awoken. But would Phil being this far in Daniel’s space be seen as a breach of trust by The Prince? The boy seemed to finally be easing up on Phil, and he would never be able to forgive himself if he made Daniel return to his original state of malice and distrust.</p>
<p>	Phil’s mind was made up when another blood-curdling scream left The Prince’s mouth. Worry shot through Phil like a bullet and he knelt by Daniel’s bed. With a firm hand he shook the boy’s shoulder, praying he would wake up.</p>
<p>	Before long, Daniel’s eyes shot open. His small frame jumped to sit up and tried to inch it’s way further back into the headboard, his eyes searching for any sign of danger.</p>
<p>	“Hey Daniel, it’s just me. It’s okay.” Phil said softly. He kept a light hand on Daniel’s shoulder, hoping it would be soothing enough to bring him back to a normal headspace. Daniel’s hazel eyes met Phil’s blue ones for a moment, before the boy lunged onto Phil with a deep sob. His thin arms wrapped around Phil’s neck tightly, his face hidden behind his mop of brown curls.</p>
<p>	“Daniel, can you hear me? Are you okay? How can I help?”</p>
<p>	The Prince did nothing but bury his head further into Phil’s shoulder, cries leaving his body in trembling convulsions.</p>
<p>	Phil stood frozen, trying to figure out what was happening, but soon small tear trails were staining his shirt and Phil was brought back to the present. This couldn’t be a result from a nightmare, could it? The Prince seemed inconsolable, barely hearing what Phil was saying.</p>
<p>	Phil carefully lifted Daniel and sat the two on the bed. Daniel immediately clung onto him harder, his small fingernails clutching the back of Phil’s shirt as if he was his lifeline.</p>
<p>	Phil rubbed small soothing circles on Daniel’s back as he thought back to his medical history, his brain looking for any possible explanation for what was happening. He remembered reading that Daniel had panic attacks when he was in elementary school, and he recalled the symptoms looking very similar to these, but that was over ten years ago and he didn’t read anything about them happening recently.	</p>
<p>	Nonetheless, Phil decided he would treat this situation the same way he would a normal panic attack. He held Daniel tight against his own body, with one hand cradling his back and the other combing through his hair.</p>
<p>	“It’s going to be okay, Daniel, I promise. Nothing is going to hurt you.” Phil whispered softly, hoping the boy might be able to hear him through his cries. He continued rubbing Daniel’s back, hoping it would help calm his shaking body.</p>
<p>	When The Prince let out another loud sob, the doors swung open, revealing a pajama-clad Johanna and a terrified looking Adrian. The two looked out of breath, like they had sprinted here just as Phil had. Johanna made eye contact with Phil before she ran to the bathroom, loudly rummaging through cabinets.</p>
<p>	Adrian bolted over to his brother, who lay crying into Phil’s chest, and took him in his own arms with haste. Daniel immediately started screaming and flailing around even louder than he had been, trying to work his way out of his brother’s grip, but Adrian only held on tighter. With a swift motion, Adrian flung Daniel onto the bed and pinned his small arms against the mattress.</p>
<p>	Phil arose from the bed and stumbled forward, desperate to calm The Prince down. He tried to push his way closer to Daniel but Adrian shoved him out of the way. He wasn’t sure what Adrian was doing but it certainly wasn’t helping. Daniel was in hysterics, deafening screams leaving his mouth and legs kicking against his brother’s unbudging body.</p>
<p>	“Johanna, hurry!” Adrian shouted. Johanna swiftly emerged from the bathroom with a small vial and syringe filled with clear liquid.</p>
<p>	“No! Adrian, what are you doing to him?!” Phil cried, using all of his willpower not to bodyslam the older prince.</p>
<p>	“Phil, please trust me.” Adrian yelled fervently. He locked eyes with Phil, pleading with him to cooperate. Phil only nodded, summoning all of his strength to help him stay out of it. It was going against everything his body was telling him, but he wanted to trust Adrian.</p>
<p>	Johanna ripped the sleeve of Daniel’s shirt and jabbed the needle violently into his skin. Within seconds, The Prince’s body was completely pliant, limbs limp and small breaths leaving his nose. Adrian sat back with his head in his hands while Johanna quickly moved to clean the medical supplies.</p>
<p>	Adrian sat back up with a deep sigh and picked his little brother up, holding him tightly to his chest. He moved him to the other side of his bed and maneuvered his drugged body under the blankets. He softly brushed a stay curl off of Daniel’s forehead before turning to Phil, exhaustion painting his face.</p>
<p>	“I am sorry you had to see that, Philip. I imagine that was incredibly nerve-wracking for you.”</p>
<p>	Phil stood aggravated, eyes wide and searching Adrian’s face for a better answer.</p>
<p>	“I don’t care about that. I just want to know what happened to him! Nothing like that was described in his notes, even though you’re clearly aware of what’s going on. I just want to make sure he’s okay, I don’t care about anything else.”</p>
<p>	Adrian looked to his feet with an expression of shame and sorrow on his usually spirited face. He looked lost for words, but Johanna returned from the bathroom just in time and took a gentle seat by Daniel, petting his hair softly as she looked up to Phil.</p>
<p>	“Daniel gets night terrors every so often, and they can result in some pretty dramatic panic attacks. They only started recently so they haven’t been added to your notes, but I do apologize. I realize now that I should have filled you in sooner.”</p>
<p>	Johanna looked worriedly down to Daniel and tucked a strand of curly hair behind her ear.</p>
<p>	“They’re usually fairly violent episodes, so we use a sedative to help calm him down. It prevents him from hurting himself while he’s thrashing around, and it helps calm his mind faster and puts him back to sleep. I’m sorry, Phil. I should have told you.”</p>
<p>	Phil’s jaw tightened but he gave her an understanding nod. He was frustrated that he wasn’t filled in sooner, but he was relieved he knew about it now. Phil looked over to the sleeping boy with worry.</p>
<p>	“Can I have more details? Do you know what causes him to have night terrors? What can I do to help? I need more information.” Phil said, his chest still sore from the anxiety. He didn’t think he could ever forget the expression on Daniel’s face when he woke up. Pure terror and panic. Phil wasn’t sure what was hurting the boy so badly that he had night terrors, but he was certain that he never wanted him to go through something like that again.</p>
<p>	Adrian adjusted his suit jacket and cleared his throat, trying to re-conduct himself. He locked eyes once again with Phil before shaking his head firmly, his lips pressed in a hard line.</p>
<p>	“We are not going to tell you that information. That is only for Dan to explain once he’s ready.”</p>
<p>	Phil stepped forward, about to argue, when Adrian held up a hand to halt him.</p>
<p>	“What I will tell you is that I find it incredibly fascinating that you were able to hold him. Every time I’ve tried to hold Dan while he’s been in one of his episodes it always seems to make it worse. He would kick me, punch me, do everything he could to keep me away. He’s usually inconsolable. But for some reason he seemed okay with you holding him. Calmer, even.”</p>
<p>	“Maybe this one wasn’t as bad as the others?” Phil suggested. Adrian looked thoughtful for a moment before giving Phil a resolved nod.</p>
<p>	“Perhaps you are right, Philip. Now, I will be heading to bed. I suggest you two do the same.” He bowed slightly to Johanna and Phil before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.</p>
<p>	Phil focused back to Daniel, who was wrapped snugly in his comforter. Tear streaks still stained his face but the color had returned to his skin, which was a relief for Phil. Johanna still sat perched on the bed next to Daniel, brushing his hair with her slender fingers. Her dark skin glowed in the moonlight, illuminating her downcast expression.</p>
<p>	“You know, Phil, I really appreciate you being so patient with Dan. I know it must be frustrating being kept in the dark, but you’re doing a wonderful job. Things will work out with time, and I’m sure he’ll let you into his head soon. We just need to wait.”</p>
<p>	She stood from the bed and adjusted her nightgown.</p>
<p>	“Thank you for your help, Phil. Now, I am going to be heading to bed. I hope you follow my advice and do so as well. Have a good night, Phil.” She walked over and gave Phil a warm hug. Her boney arms wrapped tightly around his waist, giving Phil the comfort he craved after such a long night. She pulled back with a smile before retreating to her own quarters.</p>
<p>	Phil was now the only one left with Daniel. As he looked to the sleeping figure he felt a pang of anxiety fill his chest. He trusted that Johanna and Adrian wouldn’t have left if there was a chance of something happening again, but what if it did? Phil didn’t want to take any chances of leaving him to deal with another nightmare alone.</p>
<p>	Phil picked up the wooden chair from Daniel’s desk and left his room, making sure to silently close the door behind him. He moved the chair just to the right of the door and took a seat. It wasn’t the most comfortable, but Phil felt much better being closer to The Prince. He closed his eyes and prepared for a long night.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p>	Phil awoke the next morning to a poking in his left shoulder. His eyes stung when they opened, the lack of sleep and searing sunlight temporarily paining him. He looked around for a moment, not recognizing the pale walls and marble floors. It took him a moment to remember last night, memories flooding back to him.</p>
<p>	A voice cleared their throat beside him. Phil looked up to see Daniel, hair messy and unkempt with eyes lined with red. He still looked tired, but it was an improvement from the day prior. The sedative must have helped more than he anticipated.</p>
<p>	Daniel picked at his fingernails as his face slowly flushed.</p>
<p>	“Were you here all night?”</p>
<p>	He shifted his weight from foot to foot, waiting for the other’s response. Phil let out a deep yawn and stretched his back, earning small popping sounds in the process. He wiped the remaining sleep from his eyes before nodding.</p>
<p>	“Yeah. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”</p>
<p>	Daniel looked down to his feet.</p>
<p>	“Adrian filled me in on what happened last night. I’m sorry you had to deal with all of that. And I probably should have told you sooner about the night terrors. I thought I would be able to manage them myself but I see now that’s not the case.” The Prince whispered.</p>
<p>	Phil stayed quiet for a moment, thinking over his words before he spoke.</p>
<p>	“Is that what the late-night piano playing was about?”</p>
<p>	He watched as Daniel’s face lit up a cherry red. The Prince bit his lip harshly before giving a small nod.</p>
<p>	“Yes, actually. I thought a distraction would help. I’m sorry, I can’t believe I've kept you up two nights in a row now. I feel terrible.”</p>
<p>	Phil shook his head. He loves listening to music and he certainly didn’t mind helping Daniel last night, but The Prince seemed quite ashamed about the whole ordeal. Phil looked up into his rich brown eyes and gave a small smile.</p>
<p>	“You haven’t been a bother at all. Besides, i’m doing my job.”</p>
<p>	Daniel still didn’t look entirely convinced but he nodded and gave Phil a small smile back. Phil got up from his chair and ran a hand through his thick hair.</p>
<p>	“And Daniel,” Phil started. The Prince looked up and locked eyes with the taller man.</p>
<p>	“I’m never going to force you to talk to me about something you’re uncomfortable with, but please know that I am always an option if you need someone to talk to. I know i’m only your guard, but I also think I can be a pretty good friend in case you ever need one.”</p>
<p>	Daniel smiled gently at this. His hand moved to tuck a brown curl behind his ear.</p>
<p>	“Thank you, Phil. That means a lot to me. Do you think you could accompany me to my fitting this morning? Pj sent me a note that my first set of outfits are ready.”</p>
<p>	Phil nodded happily. The Prince smiled before retreating back into his room, presumably to get ready for the day. Phil ran down to the kitchen, skipping every other step, and grabbed a quick breakfast. When he got back to his room, he took a brisk shower before changing into one of his uniforms. </p>
<p>	By the time he was done, Daniel was already waiting outside of his door. Phil walked over to the boy and offered his arm like usual, earning a laugh from Daniel.</p>
<p>	“If you want to be friends, you’re going to have to drop the formalities. I’ve never been a big fan of following the traditional etiquette.”</p>
<p>	Phil nodded hesitantly. He wasn’t used to not following rules, but all of the fear washed away when Daniel nudged his shoulder and began making his way down the hallway, a content smile plastered on his face. Phil followed obediently, wearing a similar smile on his face.</p>
<p>	The two shortly arrived at the tailor’s wing. Pj greeted the two with his usual cheery hellos and hugs before whisking Daniel away behind a curtain. Phil was left to take a seat on one of the velvet couches, waiting for further instruction.</p>
<p>	He tried to pass the time by admiring some of the works displayed on various mannequins around the room, but Phil shortly realized he didn’t know much about fashion and they all looked fairly similar to him. It was all gaudy fabrics draped to create angular cuts and folds, and Phil wasn’t a huge fan; he much preferred something simple.</p>
<p>	Before Phil could make any more critical comments about fabric choices, the curtain swung open, revealing The Prince wearing a new, and very cute outfit. It consisted of a white chiffon blouse with a bow right around his neck, tight eggshell pants adorned with silver appliques, and a pink colored cardigan that hung loosely off his small frame. To put things simply, he looked adorable.</p>
<p>	Phil was a little taken aback by Daniel. He knew The Prince was quite attractive, but he never quite noticed how pretty he was. The pink complimented the permanent blush on his cheeks. The pants showed off his slender but generous legs. He looked like perfection, all wrapped up by the white bow around his neck. Phil felt his face heat up, but he didn’t want to take his eyes off of the boy in front of him.</p>
<p>	“Phil, why are you staring at me?” Daniel asked with a small tilt of his head. Phil was broken out of his trance and cleared his throat, trying to re-compose himself. Pj let out a laugh and patted Daniel’s head.</p>
<p>	“That’s the reaction we were looking for! First outfit is a success!” Pj whisked Daniel back behind the curtain again, allowing Phil a moment to collect himself. He let out a deep breath and shook his head, trying to rid his thoughts of The Prince. Before long, Daniel was back standing in front of Phil in another gorgeous piece made by Pj. Outfit after outfit was shown, making Phil’s heart race with every new ensemble.</p>
<p>	After an hour or so, Pj announced he was done and ready to make alterations. Phil walked Daniel back to his room and wished him a quick goodbye before he retreated to his own quarters. He let his head rest against the wall, the cool plaster bringing his thoughts back.</p>
<p>	Why did he suddenly find Daniel so enchanting? The question had been circling his mind since he saw Daniel in that first outfit. He couldn’t possibly like The Prince in that way, he was his guard, so what was it? Was it simply because his job was to protect him and that gave him an innate sensation of possessiveness towards him, or was it something else?</p>
<p>	Phil shook his head trying to clear the thoughts. All he knew was that he wasn’t going to let whatever feeling he had get in the way of his job. He was going to ignore them and never tell anyone how he felt, or how good The Prince’s butt looked in those pants.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope everyone is doing well and that you enjoy this extra-long chapter! Balancing a full-time job plus figuring out school has been a bit of a challenge, but I'm so motivated to write that I don't even care. Are any of you doing school right now? Online learning has been a little rough for me so I'm hoping in-person classes can start soon. As soon as I get my vaccine scheduled I'll be sprinting to get to an actual classroom! Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. If possible, it would be amazing if you could leave your favorite parts of the story so far in the comments. Your kind words motivate me more than I can explain. I have a general plan for this story, but I'm always willing to elaborate more on certain parts you guys are enjoying the most. Let me know if you guys have any questions or comments for me, and I hope you all have a wonderful week. -C xx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter Six</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Phil was awoken from his deep slumber by his bedsheets being yanked off of him. He groaned as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, ready to fist fight whatever woke him up so early. He watched the culprit stride over to his window and tug the curtains open, allowing the burning sunlight into his bedroom.</p>
<p>	Johanna turned around and smiled at him, seemingly unaware of how displeased she made Phil by pulling him out of his peaceful slumber.</p>
<p>	“Rise and shine, beautiful! You have an important morning today!” She announced, too chipper for the ungodly hour.</p>
<p>	Phil turned to his other side and covered his face with his pillow, desperate to go back to dreamland. Johanna laughed at his childness and pulled the pillow from him.</p>
<p>	“Now Phil, you have a meeting with The King today. You don’t want to be late, do you?”</p>
<p>	Phil sat up in bed, suddenly alert.</p>
<p>	“A meeting with King Marcus? I wasn’t aware of this.”</p>
<p>	The girl made her way over to the wooden wardrobe and sifted through the hanging garments. She smiled when she found what she was looking for and handed the simple uniform to Phil.</p>
<p>	“I know, I’m sorry for the late notice. King Marcus requested you met with him this morning to brief you on the family’s upcoming trip to Auberon. Unfortunately I won’t be attending; my wife will be returning from her station in Leviathan that weekend and I’ll be picking her up, but I know you’ll be able to handle it!” The woman gave a broad smile and a nod before leaving the room, allowing Phil to rush to get ready.</p>
<p>	He dressed himself in the uniform Johanna had selected and ran a comb through his thick hair. He left the room with haste and made his way down the hallway in long strides, then tackled the stairs two at a time. Before long, he was standing in front of the heavy wooden door he knows all too well by now.</p>
<p>	The two guards positioned at either side of the threshold open the doors smoothly, allowing Phil to wander inside. The King sat at his desk like usual, but looked up from his papers and smiled when Phil walked in.</p>
<p>	“Philip, It’s good to see you, my boy. Please, take a seat.” King Marcus folded his reading glasses as he spoke and tucked them into his coat pocket.</p>
<p>	“I could not be more happy with this arrangement, Philip. Not only have I personally observed you following orders with the accuracy and urgency I could have only hoped for, but my sweet Daniel seems pleased as well! He has told me very good things about you.”</p>
<p>	Phil felt his face heat up. Daniel thought good of him? Not only that, but he spoke well of him to his father?</p>
<p>	“Now, I’m sure you’ve heard that my sons and I will be going on a trip to Auberon next week. Our goal is to secure a better relationship with the monarchy over there, and hopefully form an alliance. In view of the fact that this will be a trip intended for personal expediency regarding a personal bond, we will be staying at Auberon’s royal palace. Philip, please review and memorize a map of the castle as well as their security system. I want you to be in the loop. I’m sure nothing will happen but it’s better to-”</p>
<p>	The sound of the door creaking on it’s hinges made King Marcus stop mid-sentence. Phil followed his gaze to see Prince Adrian standing with his normal stiff stance in the doorway. Next to him stood Daniel looking especially beautiful that day. The air in the room seemed lighter when Phil saw him. Daniel flashed a small smile at Phil before walking over to his father’s desk and taking a seat. Adrian followed after his brother, taking the seat between him and Phil, which Phil was slightly disappointed about. He wanted to sit next to Daniel.</p>
<p>	The King greeted the boys and made his way back to his chair, sitting with a soft sigh.</p>
<p>	“Boys, I’m just finishing up my run-down with Philip about our upcoming trip. There’s a few things I need to discuss with you both as well. Adrian, during this visit you are to stay by my side. This is going to be an exceptional way for you to observe how making alliances work and I want you to be present and learning at every moment. And as I’m sure you both know, we will be staying at the castle so you need to be on your best behavior. That includes you, Daniel.”</p>
<p>	Daniel let out a groan and picked at his nails.</p>
<p>	“You know It won’t be hard for me to stay out of trouble. These trips don’t ever involve me anyways; it’s always just you and Adrian doing stuff with other royals. I’ll just stay in my room like usual.”</p>
<p>	“Actually, Daniel, you won’t be able to do that this trip.” The King started.</p>
<p>	“The King of Auberon has a son roughly around your age, so you will be required to socialize with him throughout the duration of our trip. We have to make a good impression on the entire family, and that includes The Prince. He seems like a very friendly young man so I have no doubt you two will get along nicely.”</p>
<p>	Phil felt his shoulders tense. Another man hanging out around Daniel? For an entire trip? Phil knew it wasn’t his place to be jealous, he had only just discovered the feelings recently, yet his mind turned red when he thought of Daniel laughing and conversing with another man that wasn’t himself.</p>
<p>	Daniel shifted in his chair uncomfortably and let out an annoyed whine.</p>
<p>	“Dad, please don’t make me hang out with this guy. I’d be much happier in my room, and besides, I really don’t think I’d make a good impression for our family. I would be grumpy the whole time.” </p>
<p>The King gave an exhausted sigh as he rubbed his temple.</p>
<p>“Please, son. Just try? For me?” King Marcus looked up at Daniel with a tired expression. The Prince rolled his eyes but gave a blunt nod in agreement. Phil hated to admit it, but it did make him feel better that Daniel wasn’t in favor of this arrangement either.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Dan. Now, you boys are free to go. Please make a packing list and hand it off to one of the maids by tonight. I want to make sure we are prepared to leave by the end of the week. And Phil, I have faith you will finish your tasks with great vigor.”</p>
<p>Adrian and Daniel said their goodbyes to their father before departing to their respective rooms while Phil gave a diplomatic bow as he always did. Phil saw The King smile slightly when he stood back up, and with that, Phil left to get to studying.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hours had passed since Phil’s meeting with the royal family. He had studied right through lunch and dinner to peruse through the detailed floor plans and dense books containing the details of Auberon’s security system.</p>
<p>Phil assumed he would be tired after an entire day of work, but he found himself gaining motivation whenever thoughts of Daniel crossed his mind, which was often. Whenever the lull of sleep started calling to him or he felt his mind wander off to more compelling ideas, he just told himself it wasn’t an option to half-ass Daniel’s safety. He blamed it on his job title, but Phil knew deep down it was an emotional need of his to keep The Prince safe.</p>
<p>Phil had just started a new chapter when he heard an ear-splitting scream through his and Daniel’s shared wall.</p>
<p>‘Another nightmare.’ Phil thought as he stood up and rushed to the door. He entered Daniel’s room hastily to find exactly what he was expecting. The Prince lay on his bed curled into his covers, streaks of tears shining down his still-asleep face, slight shivers emitting from his tiny frame.</p>
<p>Phil considered getting Johanna or Adrian, just in case the poor boy needed a sedative, but Phil couldn’t bear leaving Daniel by himself. Phil crouched down knee-level to the bed and gently shook The Prince’s shoulder. Phil hoped that he wouldn’t scare Daniel, but his plan quickly failed when Daniel woke up with a panicked jump, wide brown eyes searching for any cause of danger.</p>
<p>“Daniel, it’s okay, it’s just me. You were having another nightmare.” Phil spoke softly, reaching out an arm to hold Daniel tightly to his chest, praying that his words and actions would help soothe The Prince. Daniel’s grip was tight on Phil’s shirt as he cried, wrecked sobs leaving his mouth in clusters.</p>
<p>Phil was sure he felt his heart breaking with every cry leaving The Prince’s mouth. He shushed him and held Daniel closer, cradling the man in his grip, softly petting his hair. Before long, Daniel’s sobs turned into hitched whimpers instead of guttural weeps, and his grip slowly eased on Phil’s shirt.</p>
<p>After a few minutes of comfortable quiet, Daniel pulled back from Phil abruptly.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to grab you.” Daniel whispered with a blush. Phil watched as The Prince wiped the tears off of his face with the back of his sweater sleeve. Phil’s chest lightened with relief. Daniel seemed okay. Maybe a little shaken up, but he was calmed down and didn’t even need a sedative. Phil was quite proud of him.</p>
<p>“Don’t apologize, your highness. I’ll always do whatever I can to help you, and besides, I really don't mind hugs.” Phil said with a smile, hoping his joke would lighten up the mood. Daniel smiled too, rubbing the remaining tears out of his eyes.</p>
<p>“Will you be able to go back to sleep?” Phil asked. The Prince shook his head no.</p>
<p>“I don’t think so. But don’t worry, I won’t keep you up with my piano playing or anything. I’ll read a book or something.”</p>
<p>Phil frowned. He really didn’t like the idea of Daniel being on his own after a night terror.</p>
<p>“Is there anything I can do to help?” Phil asked hopefully.</p>
<p>Daniel smiled sleepily and shook his head once more.</p>
<p>“Unfortunately, unless you can make a plate of cookies and milk magically appear, I don’t think you can. That’s what my mother used to bring me when I had nightmares when I was little. But I might call for a maid for some tea. That could help.” Daniel said tiredly, adjusting his position on the bed so his knees were curled up to his chin.</p>
<p>An idea popped into Phil’s head. It was a dumb idea, but it was one that would take Daniel’s mind off of whatever nightmare he had and that was enough for Phil.</p>
<p>“Daniel, I have an idea. Will you come on a quick trip with me downstairs? I think I can help.”</p>
<p>Daniel looked to his guard suspiciously, but curiosity flamed in his eyes. He nodded hesitantly before lifting the covers off of himself. Phil smiled widely. He didn’t think Daniel would actually agree to come with him.</p>
<p>Phil opened the door for the young prince and led the two down the empty corridor, sock clad footsteps emitting the only noise in the entire castle. Moonlight shone through the windows of the palace, glowing beautifully over Daniel’s features. Phil found it difficult not to stare at The Prince while they walked. Though he looked tired, the moonlight softened his features and highlighted his lovely appearance. Phil shook the thoughts away and kept walking.</p>
<p>The whole castle was asleep, which made it easy for them to walk to the kitchen undetected. Phil opened the sturdy door for Daniel and felt the wall for a lightswitch. He flicked it on, illuminating the cozy room with golden light. Phil gestured for Daniel to take a seat on a stool sat next to the counter as he began rummaging through the pantry.</p>
<p>Dan smiled skeptically as he watched Phil pulling various ingredients out of cabinets.</p>
<p>“Phil, what are you doing?”</p>
<p>“I’m making you cookies. You said they would help. Besides, I used to work in the kitchen so I have a good bit of knowledge when it comes to cooking. Especially cookies and sweets.” Phil explained as he pulled a sack of flour out from a lower cabinet. When he stood back up he glanced at Daniel, who had a smile plastered on his face.</p>
<p>The Prince shook his head softly and took a seat at the stool Phil had offered. Phil felt eyes follow him as he made his way around the kitchen, grabbing any spoons, measuring tools, or bowls he might need. He made his way over to the table Daniel was sat at and started making his dough. Daniel leaned forward to watch Phil as he threw a pinch of salt on the mixture.</p>
<p>“Phil, can you tell me about your upbringing a bit? I know you were a palace guard for a while and now I know you worked in the kitchens, but I don’t know much else.” Daniel spoke softly, almost as if testing the waters. Phil smiled at the man’s shy attempt at conversation. Truly he would have talked to Daniel about anything, but the fact that he was initiating a personal conversation himself made Phil’s heart flutter.</p>
<p>“Well, I suppose there’s not a lot to know, really. My father passed away when I was fourteen, so nine years ago now. I took care of my mother for a while but she fell into a depression after my father was gone and passed away last year. I did have to grow up fast, but I do remember my childhood quite fondly. While my parents were here, we had lovely times together.” Phil said. He wasn’t incredibly sad about his parents anymore, they had been gone for so long, but he liked thinking back to when the three of them were a happy family. Daniel gave a sad nod.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry about your parents, Phil. I remember losing my mom. I struggled horribly. I was always closer to her than my dad growing up. I can’t imagine losing both parents though, that must have been very hard for you.”</p>
<p>Phil shrugged his shoulders as he cracked an egg into the bowl.</p>
<p>“It was in the moment, but it’s been a long time. I’m sorry about your mother, too. I remember when The Queen passed away, the whole staff was in ruins. We loved your mother a lot, Daniel.”<br/>Daniel gave a small smile.</p>
<p>“She was wonderful, wasn’t she? After she died, my father had to take over as the role of our mother as well as a father. He struggled at first of course, but he’s grown so much as a man because of it. I think that’s why he gets along with our people so well, she wore off on him.”</p>
<p>Dan rested his chin on his hand, watching Phil meticulously pick egg shells out of the batter. Phil wiped his hands and spun around to grab a bag of chocolate chips off the counter.</p>
<p>“Chocolate chip cookies were her favorite too.” Daniel said with a grin. Phil smiled and passed the bag of chocolate to Daniel.</p>
<p>“Why don’t you pour these in for me then?”</p>
<p>Daniel took the bag and leaned over the table, careful not to get any dough on his sweater. Phil was just about to pass him the measuring cup but before he could give it to him, Daniel was emptying the entire bag into the bowl. Phil let out a laugh and took the empty bag from Daniel.</p>
<p>“You know, I didn’t mean the whole bag.”</p>
<p>“Well, I like chocolate.” Daniel said with a giggle as he plopped back down on his stool. Phil shook his head warmly and mixed his batter.</p>
<p>“I’ll remember that next time I make cookies for you.” Phil shot Daniel a smile, which was returned with a flustered blush from The Prince. He discreetly covered his cheeks with his sweater-pawed hands, watching Phil shyly as he plated the cookies and put them in the oven.</p>
<p>He’s so cute when he blushes.</p>
<p>Phil shook the thought out of his head and tried focusing back on the task at hand. The cookies were out of the oven quickly, and Phil passed the whole plate over to The Prince. Daniel eagerly grabbed one and took a bite, a content expression spreading over his face.</p>
<p>“Phil, these are amazing. I’m going to have to save one for Pj, he loves sweets.”</p>
<p>“Then I'll have to save one for Chris. Then him and Pj can talk about how great they are together. He’s been looking for a reason to talk to him again.” Phil said fondly.</p>
<p>Daniel took another bite of his cookie, letting a small giggle escape his lips.</p>
<p>“I think Pj really likes Chris. He won’t tell me anything, but every time I bring him up Pj gets so embarrassed and blushy. It's quite cute.”</p>
<p>“Well, I know Chris is super into Pj. I’ve never seen him more infatuated with another person. It’s like every time I see him he won’t shut up about it.” Phil chuckled. He brushed his hands on his pants and looked up to a clock on the wall.</p>
<p>“Daniel, It’s nearly 3’oclock in the morning. Do you think you’ll be able to sleep if I walk you back up to your room? I want to make sure you get some rest.”</p>
<p>As if on cue, Daniel let out a soft yawn. He looked up to the clock Phil was studying and nodded his head.</p>
<p>“I think I can. Your cookies did actually help a ton.” Phil tried to ignore the fluttering feeling in his chest and opened the door for Daniel once more. He locked up the kitchen and escorted The Prince back to his room, wishing the walk would take longer than it did on the way down.</p>
<p>Despite Phil’s hopes, the two made it to Daniel’s door shortly. Daniel put his hand on the doorknob and looked up at Phil with those beautiful brown eyes.</p>
<p>“Thank you for tonight, Phil. You really did help a lot.” Daniel whispered. He gave Phil a wide smile that showed off his dimples, and went inside his room for the night. Phil swore he would have to wipe his heart off of the floor because he was sure it melted at that smile meant just for him.</p>
<p>Phil let out a deep sigh before retreating to his own room for the night. He crawled in between his soft sheets and tried to sleep, but his mind kept bringing him back to images of the beautiful prince, and that smile he himself had put onto his beautiful face.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Here's another chapter for you all! I'm sorry for the wait, I got my vaccine this past week and I've been pretty sick from it. I'm doing much better now, but at the time I was a mess. I really hate needles, so it was a huge deal to get one for me. Ironic since I have a tattoo lol. Anyways, how have all of you been doing? I hope well. I think of my readers a lot and I try to send good vibes your ways. I hope you all have an amazing week and enjoy the warming weather a bit. I have some plans for this story coming up in the next few chapters that I'm very excited about, so I'll get those out to you as soon as I can. Sending you love and hugs as usual &lt;3 xx</p>
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